Three Men in an Office
by J. Avery
Summary: In order to save Benson's job, Mordecai is forced to tell Mr. Maellard how he and Benson ended up together. Otherwise known as their love story in five sappy songs.
1. The Beginning and The Kiss

**A/N: Alrighty, I originally posted this on dA and it ended up being a three parter... I guess I have to do the same thing here. Obviously in the "Two Men in Suits" universe. Enjoy... **

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Subconsciously, both Benson and Mordecai knew that what they were doing (being in love) was going to effect work in the park. But Mordecai didn't even work at the park anymore, what with his job at Pulse ("It's an underground-pop-indie-smooth jazz focus newspaper," Mordecai would say. "You've probably never heard of us..."), and the couple just assumed a bullet was dodged.

A call at their apartment, from Benson, who sounded shaken and frustrated and just plain fucking scared, made Mordecai reconsider that assumption.

One nervous golf cart ride later and Mordecai was opening the front door, running upstairs and praying that things weren't as bad as Benson was making them out to be. When Mordecai got to the top step, he saw the park staff sans Benson leaning towards Mr. Maellard's office door.

"Mordecai!" Rigby yelled, which earned him angry shushes. He glared at the rest and lowered his voice, "Mordecai! Dude, shit's going down!"

"What's wrong? Where's Benson?" Mordecai asked, feeling more nervous by the minute.

While his ear rested on the door, Muscle Man replied, "Mr. Maellard found out from Pops that you and Benson are members of the Liberace cult and pulled him into his office. They've been in there all day!"

Mordecai got that feeling in your stomach you usually get on roller coasters.

"It's all my fault!" Pops said, tearful. "I was just so happy for you both, it slipped out! I apologize profusely, Mordecai."

Smiling sympathetically, Mordecai said to Pops, "I'm not angry Pops. It's all going to be okay." Mordecai then asked them all, "What has Maellard been saying to him?"

"We sent High Fives in to listen," Skips said. For a moment there, Mordecai would have sworn Skips sounded a little... nervous.

As if on cue, High Five Ghost emerged from the wall, looking troubled.

"It's good you're here, man. Maellard kept using a lot of professional gibberish and calling Benson a 'sexual deviant'. He made him sound like a pedophile!"

Pops took his hat from his head and gripped it. "Papa's never been so angry at Benson before. And I'm all to blame!" Running away and bawling, Pops choked out, "I hope he won't hit him!"

"He's not gonna hit Benson," Rigby said to Mordecai reassuringly. Then the raccoon thought about the possibility, and became horrified. "Oh my God! Benson's gotta get outta there!"

Mordecai had heard enough. "I'm going in there."

"Mordecai, that may not be the best idea," Skips warned.

"Yeah bro," Muscle Man agreed. "You go in there and Maellard will get you locked up for trespassing. You're not legally allowed past the lawn."

Rigby looked up at Mordecai with a panicked expression. "As long as Maellard doesn't hit him, Benson can handle this, dude. But I'm not sure you can handle jail."

Mordecai shrugged off his friend's cautionary words and pushed past them to open up the office door. Unfortunately, he wasn't paying attention to his own strength and flung the door so hard it slammed against the wall and shook some books from their shelves.

Maellard's angry gaze shifted from Benson to Mordecai. Benson turned around from his seat in front of Maellard's desk and stared at Mordecai with wide, terrified eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" Benson asked Mordecai. He didn't look happy to see him at all. Admittedly, Mordecai's presence wasn't making things better, it seemed.

Mordecai looked all around him to see his so called "friends" had disappeared into thin air.

"You called," Mordecai said. "What's going on here?"

Maellard pointed to Mordecai and ordered, "Bluebird. Sit down at once."

"I'm not going to move an inch until you tell me what you're doing to Benson!" Mordecai yelled and pointed back defiantly.

"Fine. Let me assist you then."

Maellard clapped his hands three times and a chair materialized behind Mordecai. The chair appeared to be possessed as hit the back of Mordecai's legs, scooped him up and carried him across the room and all the way to Maellard's desk.

Mordecai never felt (and looked) so scared.

"How did?... What the?..."

"How Maellard acquired telekinesis is a long and tedious story," Benson said, wringing his hands. "You shouldn't have come."

"Then why did you call me?"

Benson closed his eyes and leaned into his own chair.

"Because I'm an idiot."

Maellard looked between the two men, suspiciously. It wouldn't have been as intimidating if Mordecai just knew what the old dude's angle was.

He only went in this office twice when he was working here. Once to find this mouse with a magic cheese doodle... It's not as interesting as it sounds... And the second time was just fooling around with a bust of Maellard to piss Benson off.

"Beanbag here has been telling me things. Things that upset me, Bluebird."

Mordecai scoffed, "That we're dating? Yeah, I know. What's your deal, dude?"

"You do understand I have a strict interoffice relationship policy, don't you?"

"Yeah, but the thing is... Are you ready for this? I don't work here anymore."

From the outside of the door, Rigby could be heard yelling, "OHHHHHHHH!" Maellard angrily snapped his fingers and a "slam!" was heard. Rigby began to groan in pain. "Oww..."

Maellard presumed to speak, glaring at the door, "Yes, but isn't true that this affair began when you were still under contract?"

Mordecai sighed defeatedly, "Yes. But!-"

"And isn't it also true that the only reason my son even knows about this sordid affair is because he walked in on you both..." Maellard struggled to say the words. He was stuck on the letter "s" it seemed. He sounded like a pissed of snake.

"Being intimate sir," Benson stated. "And it was irresponsible of us, of me, but-"

"You two sicken me. Neglecting my park and flaunting your lustful passions around my son... Surely he's traumatized!"

Benson inhaled shakily, "Mr. Maellard, sir, please. I assure you Pops is fine and the park has never been more successful. I can't... I can't lose this job."

"And I can't have a sexual deviant as an employee, around my son. I'm going to have to give you the boot, Beanie Baby. I have no idea what you're capable of!"

Benson clutched onto his heart shaped knob. "F-fire me? But... But didn't you just hear me? I'll lose my... I'll my car. I'll be on the streets..." Benson began to babble, "I'll be one of those hobos on the freeway who eat roadkill... I'll never be clean again... What will I do?"

"Excuse me for not being sympathetic to your situation." Maellard sneered. "But you've brought this upon yourself."

"Maellard, what can I say to change your mind?"

The elderly lollipop man raised an eyebrow. Mordecai sat up straight.

Benson shook his head and harshly whispered to Mordecai, "What are you doing?"

"You puerile, confused thing. The very fact you think I would even entertain being persuaded is reason to laugh at you."

"Aren't you at least curious of what I'll say?"

Maellard shrugged, "No, not really."

Benson made a noise, which sounded like a squeak, though he'd probably deny it.

"Okay...Well... Would you, like, care to make a wager?"

Mordecai tried to look confident, make direct eye contact and such, but it was so damn difficult with Maellard 'cause the old dude had his intimidating stare down pact.

Maellard slowly clasped his hands together.

"A wager?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Benson said incredulously, "A wager?"

"A wager?" numerous voices said from outside of the office.

"Yeah. A wager. If I tell you everything, how it started and ended and the stupid in between stuff, and you start see the situation differently, I leave scot-free and Benson gets to stay."

"Ah. And what happens if I see everything the same as before? Hmm? What do get, Bluebird?"

Mordecai replied, boldly, "You can fire Benson and have me arrested for trespassing."

"Stop trying to help!" Benson whispered desperately. "I'll end up in a cardboard box and you'll end up being traded for cigars!"

"The saying is 'traded for cigarettes', and don't worry Ben," Mordecai winked at Benson, "I got this!"

"This ought to amuse me until the police arrive," Maellard said, with a wicked grin. "You've got yourself a wager."

A heavy and obvious panic was radiating off of Benson. Mordecai wasn't expecting Maellard to actually agree to such a bet, but if there was any chance of saving Benson's job (and their apartment) Mordecai would take a crack at it.

_"Alright...Way back, in the beginning of November two years ago-"_

**1. Catch Me (I'm Falling) **

_"Me and Rigby were innocently cleaning up the yard decorations..."_

Rigby yawned, sitting on the steps as Mordecai finally pulled up the fake headstone from the ground.

"Dude..." said Rigby, sleepily. "You get these cobwebs, I'm too tired."

"_Who is this Rigby?" Maellard questioned._

_"The raccoon sir? He's been working here for three years." Benson answered._

_"Oh... The odorous looking one... Continue, Bluebird."_

Mordecai glared at Rigby. "You slept all day yesterday! And this morning! How are you still tired?"

"Margaret," was all Rigby said before he lied on the porch.

"You're such a skeeze," said Mordecai with a scowl. Mordecai went up to the house and got the cobwebs off what he could reach, and realized he'd need the ladder to get the rest from the roof.

Rigby curled up into a ball and laughed softly. "You sound just like her."

He was lucky Mordecai was over Margaret, otherwise he would have punted Rigby across the lawn. Hell, he still wanted to punt Rigby across the lawn, but it was out of annoyance rather than jealousy.

"Okay, I'm going to get the ladder for the cobwebs on the roof. Could you at least bring in that box of props?"

"Fine," Rigby groaned. "Sometimes you can be so lazy, Mordecai." Rigby pulled himself up and towards the aforementioned prop box, and instantaneously became enthralled by what was inside. "Whoa~! What's all this stuff?"

"Plastic spiders and fake blood. Stop being an idiot and take them inside," Mordecai said.

Rigby dug around in the box, making excited noises. The same noises a baby makes when he finds a new toy. "But look at all this cool stuff! Olive branches, peacock feathers, and it's all shiny~!"

"Alright. Well, I'm going to be on the roof, acting like an adult." Mordecai picked up his right leg to start walking, but Rigby exploded from the box holding something that was indeed shiny.

"Look at this man!" Rigby shouted triumphantly.

Mordecai was awestruck. "Dude... What's that?"

The shining object dimmed down just enough for Mordecai and Rigby to identify it as a golden figurine of a woman. She had a crown of flowers around her head and held a long dagger.

Rigby studied the figurine. "Wow. This chick meant business!"

Mordecai and Rigby jumped a bit when Benson came through the front door frowning at them.

"Why look at this. Mordecai and Rigby aren't doing their jobs. Shocker." Benson scowled until his eyes landed on the figurine. "And what are you doing with my Juno figurine?"

"Juno?" said Rigby, confused. "The pregnant chick in that movie?"

"We just stopped working for a sec, and we found it in the prop box."

Benson let up with the attitude at hearing Mordecai's explanation. "Put it back and finish up the cleaning. You guys have to start raking the leaves."

Mordecai and Rigby both groaned, but Benson raised an eyebrow and went back inside the house-

_"Bluebird. I'm sure this lovely tale of the golden figurine is important to you, but when exactly does this lead up to you and Beenteen...?"_

_Benson put his face in his hands, while Mordecai subtly smiled. "I'm getting to that, sir."_

_"Then speed it up!"_

_"Okay. But certain parts aren't going to make any sense..."_

The monstrous golden woman towered so high, Mordecai swore she could pluck out the moon if she wanted. Her head blocked out the sun and plunged the entire city into darkness.

"I am Juno, Queen of the Gods!" The golden woman raised up her hands and she forced the winds to spin around her. It felt as if the two friends were stuck inside a hurricane's eye, helplessly looking for a safe way out.

"I'm sorry I thought you were preggers!" Rigby screamed up at her, then screamed at his friend with frightened eyes, "Mordecai what are we gonna do?"

"If I knew that do you think I just be **standing** here?"

A lightning bolt struck down in front of them and they fell on their backs. Juno laughed and threatened to throw down another. "Watch as I destroy your soldiers, Jupiter!"

As the spinning winds intensified, Benson ran out onto the porch to see what the commotion was. The sight of his Juno figurine, now sentient, bringing her giant dagger down towards his employees, was not what he was expecting. Though Benson guessed it'd be something just as horrific and impossible.

"What the hell?" Benson yelled out to no one. The gumball machine ran over to the driveway and jumped inside a golf cart.

Benson drove to the golden goddess and hollered to both Mordecai and Rigby, "Get in the cart!" Benson didn't have to yell again, and once they hopped inside he zoomed past Juno, nearly missing a thunderbolt.

"Get back here you demons!" Juno boomed, and the goddess effortlessly started to catch up with them. "You disgusting soldiers of Jupiter!"

"Why does she keep saying that?" Rigby said, scrunching up his face.

"How do we kill her?" Mordecai, who was next to Benson, screamed.

Benson felt his heart beat out of his chest when a lightning bolt struck inches away from his side. "You can't kill a god. Their immortal... Unless." Benson knew those Ancient Roman Mythology class he took in college would be useful... "We have to shrink her back down!"

"And how do we do that?" Mordecai and Rigby yelled in unison.

"Jupiter's golden net! In the prop box!" Benson answered, and then Juno's dagger dropped in front of the cart.

All three men jumped out of their skin, and Mordecai and Rigby were able to flee and ran, but Benson's seatbelt was jammed.

"_Which is why me and Rigby don't wear them," Mordecai said to Benson, teasingly._

_"Just tell the damn story," Benson said through grit teeth._

"Benson!" Mordecai yelled, and almost ran back, but Juno was already lifting up the cart.

"Don't worry about me! Get the golden net and throw it at her feet!" Rigby was already halfway to the house, but Mordecai hesitated. "Mordecai, just go!"

Mordecai was right behind his friend as they ran back to the house, up the stairs and dug through the prop box like mad men, looking for a golden net that may or may not be in there. They went through peacock feathers, olive branches and (oddly enough) a coupon for Caesar's Pizza until they both pulled up a golden net so magnificent it threatened to blind them.

The strong, hurricane winds made it damn near impossible to run, but with all their might Rigby and Mordecai made it back to the crazed goddess. She looked down at them and nonchalantly threw down the golf cart in an effort to crush them.

Thankfully the vehicle missed, but it did do a great job of scaring Rigby shitless.

"Dude! I think we should bail! I mean, what the hell is this little net supposed to do?"

A bloodcurdling scream came Benson above, and Mordecai became more angry, more confident, more determined than ever.

"On my word, throw it at her feet!"

Rigby wearily nodded his head, and swung the net back and forth with Mordecai's rhythm.

"Ready?" Mordecai yelled.

Juno gripped Benson in her dagger-free hand, and Mordecai could see him begin to panic.

"Ready!" Rigby yelled back in response.

Benson managed to pull his arms free, and held onto a finger as he bit down as hard as he could. Juno screamed out in pain as Mordecai and Rigby flung the net at her feet, and it expanded to wrap around Juno's shins.

The goddess dropped Benson and fell like King Kong when he descended from that skyscraper, while Benson fell like a steel bag of lead.

Mordecai found himself trying to predict where Benson would fall, and running to that spot.

Benson braced himself for impact and closed his eyes, until the moment came and he was in Mordecai's arms, rather than splattered all over the lawn. He looked at his rescuer in surprise.

"I got you!" Mordecai said, breathing in and exhaling a laugh.

Benson couldn't say anything. His brain had forgotten what words were.

"Hey!" Rigby yelled from a yard away. Mordecai and Benson looked over to see Rigby hold up the net and a tiny Juno figurine, holding up her middle finger. "Guess she didn't appreciate you biting her."

"I'm just surprised the net thing worked," Mordecai said, smiling at Benson.

Until he noticed.

He noticed that Benson was staring wide-eyed and dumbly as he held unto Mordecai, afraid he'd drop him. Mordecai held on tighter for his sake, then stared back into Benson eyes.

Finally, after reminding his brain about being courteous, Benson quietly said, "Nice catch."

Mordecai swallowed. "Thank you."

"And let me guess," Maellard interrupted. "It was love at first sight."

"Oh please. He wishes," Mordecai laughed, but Benson gave him The Look.

"Then what is the purpose for telling me this story?"

Mordecai simply said, a sly smile on his face, "To set the mood."

Rigby pointed and laughed at his friend, and made no attempt to explain why until Mordecai and Benson gave him puzzled expressions.

"It's like you guys just got married!"

Mordecai laughed at himself (though realized perhaps he was holding Benson bridal style for too long) and gently put Benson down.

Benson immediately yelped and leaned on Mordecai.

"My leg! It hurts!"

"Sure it does..." Rigby teasingly said. "Next thing you know you'll want Mordecai to carry you back to the house."

Mordecai felt how Benson was digging his fingers into his side, and maybe Benson was in a lot of pain, and it would be a dick move to make him walk like that... And carrying Benson would be a lot quicker...

"I guess it would be the smart thing to do," Mordecai said, lifting Benson up again.

"Thank you." Benson said, wincing from the pain.

Rigby followed close behind, giving his friend strange looks along the way.

**2. Natural Woman **

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_"It was a good two weeks after that, and I offered to help Benson out at his apartment, because of his leg and all-"_

Mordecai put the last bag of dry cat food on the lower counter. Benson appeared in doorway with his cat, Oren, in his arms.

"Thanks again for helping me, Mordecai." Benson said. "On your day off, no less."

"No problem. Rigby's going to be over Margaret's all day and I wasn't doing anything, so..." Mordecai trailed off, looking at Benson's cast.

That Juno must've been strong, being able to hurt Benson's metal leg.

"Really? You had no plans?"

Actually, Mordecai was going to go downtown and look up this journalist job. But it could always wait, he wasn't in any rush. Plus, Benson's leg was broken. What kind of asshole would he be if he just let the guy do all this stuff by himself?

"Nah. Free as a bird." Mordecai smiled.

Benson rolled his eyes and set Oren down on his table. The animal looked Mordecai up and down and meowed low and irate.

"Hmm. That's not like him to be so judgemental." Benson said, tilting his head.

_"Little did I know," Mordecai interrupted himself, "That little bastard had been plotting against me since I first saw him."_

_Benson frowned. "Don't talk about my cat like he's some terrorist."_

_"Continue," Maellard ordered._

"What's wrong, Oren?" Mordecai went to pet the cat, but it immediately jumped from the table and into Benson's living area.

"Anyway, thanks again. I'll call if there's anything else."

Benson walked out of the kitchen, but Mordecai followed swiftly.

"Uh, Benson, I want to talk to you. About something."

"What is this something? And I swear to God if it's about that goddamn Hoagie Day you and Rigby keep trying to push-"

"Haha! No, uh, well. I'll bring up Hoagie Day later. Right now I want to talk about... Just..."

Benson sat down on his sofa, and Oren had jumped into his owner's lap. Benson stroke him gently as Mordecai made indecisive noises.

"Just?..." Benson said, getting impatient.

"There's a rumor. Amongst the park staff."

Mordecai didn't look worried or concerned about this rumor. If there was a rumor in the first place, which Benson seriously doubted.

"A rumor," Benson said flatly. "About me?"

"About us."

"What about us?"

Mordecai said, in a mock whisper, "That there is an 'us'."

Oren purred and curled up tightly against Benson. The gumball machine raised an eyebrow. "And who is saying this?"

"Everyone! Rigby at first because of the whole 'Carrying You Bridal Style' thing, then Muscle Man and High Fives, which is my fault I guess for sending you those Almond Joys-"

"Wait?" Benson said, rubbing his eyelids with his free hand. "That was you?"

"Yeah. You love Almond Joys." Mordecai said, as if Benson should have known.

"How did you?... Nevermind. Mordecai, I'm your boss. Not your guidance counsellor. Unless it effects your work, you have to handle it yourself."

"But doesn't it bother you?" said Mordecai, who plopped next to Benson on his sofa. Oren was not happy about that. "I mean, everyone thinking we're 'together' and all?"

Benson shooed Oren away to better face Mordecai. Oren was especially not happy about that. "Not really."

"Oh." Mordecai said. But it was the knowing tone he had that got under Benson's skin. "Well if that's the case I'll be going..."

"Hold on, a minute. What was that?"

Mordecai stood up, but stayed near the sofa. Oren hopped on the coffee table and meowed at him, annoyed.

"What was what?" Mordecai said, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Don't give me any of that. You said 'oh' like," Benson was moving his hands in circular motions, trying to find the right word while Mordecai was suppressing the urge to laugh. "Like it was obvious I wouldn't have a problem with the rumor."

"No, I was just surprised. I mean, when people spread lies about me I get a little ticked. You just... Let it slide right off your back."

"Because I know it's not true." Benson narrowed his eyes.

"Sure. Sure." Mordecai nodded and grinned at Benson.

Benson sucked on his teeth. "What the hell are you getting at?"

"I'm not getting at anything!" Mordecai raised his shoulders to his neck and held out his hands in a totally bogus "innocent shrug".

Oren watched his owner and the annoying houseguest converse. He did not like this at all.

"Really? Sounds like you're getting at something."

"Would you be as dismissive if they were saying you and Rigby were dating?" Mordecai asked.

Benson gagged, "Ew. Don't even joke about something like that." Mordecai donned a shit-eating grin, which made Benson cross the line from irritated to mildly pissed. "Mordecai. What?"

Mordecai's grin grew larger. And more shit-eating. "So the idea of you and Rigby being together makes you sick... But everyone thinking me and you are together in 'that way' gets a weak dismissal. Gotcha."

"There's a significant-" Benson said, starting to show his teeth, but he stopped himself. Mordecai was nearly going to double over with laughter, and that was when it hit Benson. He made an incredulous face. "Ha. Unbelievable."

"Hmm?" hummed Mordecai.

"Do you want the rumor to be true, Mordecai?"

"What?" Mordecai said, letting out the laugh he had been holding in. Between breaths he defended himself, "Absolutely not! No! Gosh! I mean, it's crazy to even think about." Mordecai developed a bit of the giggles; having a complete serious face, then breaking out in breathless laughter. "That may be hard for you to hear, since you had your heart set on making 'us' work."

"This. Explains... The last two weeks... Completely." Benson slowly shook his head. "The weird favors and Almond Joys... You... You came over here to make the rumors true. Didn't you?"

"It looks like someone's seeing what they want to see..." Mordecai said in a sing song voice.

"I'm not going on a date with you, Mordecai." Benson said.

"Whoa! You move fast!" Mordecai scooted further away from Benson. "It's very sudden, I mean, I'm flattered and all-"

"Please!" Benson laughed bitterly. "First of all, I don't think I've ever been hit on in such an... Immature way! What are you? Twelve?"

"I guess if everyone insists on it. Obviously, we have some chemistry-"

"Second of all, you're my employee. I'm not risking my job just for the thrill of riding around in golf carts with you and tasting your stoner breath!"

Oren yowled as he laid flat on the coffee table, watching it all go from bad to worse.

"I've got some reservations but I'm willing to put them aside if you feel so strongly about our future, Benson-"

"... And I'm not attracted to you in the slightest." Benson said, laughing at the thought.

Mordecai stopped talking to himself, and got rid of his giggles, to stare Benson down. He bent his body so he and Benson were facing each other.

"Pfft. Same here."

_"Just out of curiosity, how come me flirting with you wasn't a shock?" Mordecai asked Benson._

_"I'm not sure why to be honest... I guess I assume everyone is a little bicurious." Benson nodded to himself, "Thanks, Mom."_

Benson said, with crossed arms, "Just the idea of my lips touching yours makes me woozy. I'm pretty sure I'd throw up if that ever happened."

"You think?" Mordecai asked, not really caring about the answer.

Benson let out a "Ha!" and gave Mordecai a vicious smile. "I know!"

"You're positive?"

"I'm one hun-" Benson started, but Mordecai grabbed him by the face kissed him so deeply, so intent on getting his point across, Benson's brain did the whole "forgetting how to communicate with your mouth" malfunction thing again.

Benson's eyes almost popped from their sockets when he first felt Mordecai's tongue slip in, and inside of his body he felt every clich ; the fireworks that exploded with reds melting into pinks, greens and blues lingering with the stars and that shot of electricity that danced up and down his spine, and for some odd reason Aretha Franklin was belting out Natural Woman.

When Benson heard the song get close to the chorus, he pushed Mordecai off and gasped for air.

"What? The fuck was that?"

"That..." Mordecai said taking a deep breath and slyly smiling, "Was better than expected."

"Well..." Benson began, gulping for more air. "I... That was so..." he tried to tap into that anger he usually got when Mordecai and Rigby screwed up, and it was there, Benson felt it.

But goddamn it that kiss made him anything but anger.

"First kisses are usually flukes," Mordecai said, breathlessly. "I'm pretty sure if we do it again, you'll blow chunks like you said."

_"Oh God, Mordecai!" Benson grabbed Mordecai's shoulders and wrapped his legs around his middle. "Take me! Take me! Take me right here on my sofa while my cat watches!"_

_"What!" Benson shrieked. "That is not what I said! Change the story back, Mordecai." Benson growled at his boyfriend, who snickered._

_"Okay! Okay! Here's what Ben really said-"_

Benson studied the confidence Mordecai had, and how sure he was of Benson's mutual feelings, and surely Mordecai was right about first kisses. Surely the second would be shitty and he could forget any of this kissing business ever happened. And if not, they could always try a third...

"Fine. But just to prove you wrong."

And just like that, Mordecai was pushing Benson into his sofa, touching his body and making him shiver while Natural Woman played on.

_'Cause you make me feel! _

_You make me feel! _

_You make me feel like a natural... _

_Woman..._


	2. The First Time and The Last Time

**3. Hold Me Now **

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_"_And after that, you two started this affair." Mr. Maellard stated.

Mordecai made unsure noises, before Benson spoke up and said, "Not exactly, sir, we sort of officiate the... The relationship at a specific point..."

"So hurry up and get to it! I'm a busy man! People to fire, intruders to arrest, all of that business."

Benson threw a worried look towards Mordecai, but silently urged Mordecai to continue, as he had already dug the hole for the both of pretty deep.

_"I guess we should skip ahead to Thanksgiving of the next year-"_

Mordecai was in the kitchen with Pops, decorating the table, when Benson came in and observed the room.

"Wow. This place actually looks presentable! Good job guys."

"You're most welcome, Benson." Pops said, thankful. "It was Mordecai's idea to use the pumpkin candles."

"Was it?" Benson asked, looking over at Mordecai.

Mordecai coyly smiled. "Don't act so surprised, I'm not totally useless."

"Not totally at least," Benson smiled back at him. He couldn't help but grin at the atrocious green frog sweater the blue jay had agreed to wear, for Pops sake.

Though he was sure he didn't look any better in his yellow cat sweater, either.

The two of them just stood there, smiling at each other in those ugly as sin sweaters, before Pops coughed loudly.

"I'm going to see if Skips needs help in the garage," Pops announced, and left the kitchen swiftly.

They watched the lollipop gentleman retreat, and when he was finally gone Benson looked down, feeling guilty.

"We shouldn't do that," Benson told Mordecai. "Pops-"

"'Pops will catch on then Maellard will catch on'... You're so paranoid sometimes."

_"Apparently, not paranoid enough," Benson said, grimly._

_"It was an accident! I forget to lock the door one time and Pops just... barged in! Like-"_

_"Bluebird," Maellard said stiffly. "If you intend to finish this story as a free man you will refrain from finishing that thought."_

_"Okay, okay, sorry."_

"I'm just looking out for the both of us," Benson said, shrugging his shoulders. He got close to Mordecai's face and stared at his lips, as if they were the ones that needed to be more cautious around Pops. "We can't do any romantic nights out when we're homeless."

Mordecai firmly held Benson's arms (covered in the itchy yellow woolen sleeves) by his side, pushed him against the counter next to the fridge and began necking him; the gumball machine made no effort to push Mordecai away. It was an intoxicating feeling, Mordecai always thought; Benson trusting him.

"We're not going to be homeless," Mordecai kissed Benson in the spots he knew drove him crazy. "We'll just start prostituting ourselves."

"You're not funny," Benson chuckled lightly. He bent his neck so Mordecai could get a better angle. Mordecai hummed and Benson held onto Mordecai's hips.

Mordecai laughed into Benson's neck, "Yes I am."

"You're like a walking migraine, did you know that?"

"Oh~!" Mordecai and Benson heard Pops exclaim, and they hopped away from each other so fast Mordecai was literally on the other side of the kitchen. "Mordecai you have a visitor~!"

They shared a nervous laugh, and Mordecai swallowed a breath.

"I'm going to-"

"Yeah."

"If that's alright?"

Benson waved Mordecai off and played with the hem of his ugly yellow sweater. "Go on. We can continue this later." Benson smiled.

Mordecai smiled back, went through the revolving door and across the living room.

Pops held the front door open, and Mordecai stopped in his tracks when he saw his visitor.

A blue jay, the spitting image of a future Mordecai in his mid-forties, with black horn rimmed glasses. He had a dark blue scarf on, while wearing a dark green blazer with turquoise elbow patches. He stood with his feet together.

He fidgeted while he adjusted his glasses; he wanted a clearer look as he studied him with perplexed, but overall pitying, eyes.

Mordecai felt as if he had been bitch slapped.

"Dad?"

Malachi looked his son up and down. He asked, unraveling his scarf, "Work uniform?"

"It's a family reunion!" Pops clapped his hands together giddily.

Mordecai took his father's scarf, but he refused to let Mordecai take his blazer. Malachi came into the house looked around. Mordecai could see his father's mind checking of the good and the bad, and he hoped Benson wouldn't get curious and come out to see who the visitor was.

"Welcome to my father's park, Mr. Cornfield!"

"Your father?" Malachi said curiously. "You're Pops Maellard?" Pops nodded enthusiastically. Malachi smiled at Pops, and shot Mordecai one of his looks. Mordecai's stomach lurched. "I guess every father has his shame."

Mordecai looked at Pops in horror, hoping he didn't get what his dad was saying.

_Pops didn't catch on, thankfully._

_Maellard's jaw noticeably clenched. Mordecai awkwardly sucked on his teeth._

_"My dad..."_

_"Just... Get to it, Bluebird."_

"Alright then! I shall leave you two for some father-son time. But don't take too long." Pops walked off, happy as always. "We're making turkey art!"

Into the kitchen Pops went, and Mordecai could hear him excitedly tell Benson "It's Mordecai's father~! Good show~!"

Mordecai did not agree. It was anything but a good show.

Malachi smirked at Mordecai. "Aren't you going to give me a tour?"

"Sure. Up these stairs," Mordecai said.

_"You don't..." Benson said, voice empathetic and soft. "You don't need to tell him this part."_

_Mordecai shook his head, "Might as well."_

"This," Malachi stood in the center of Mordecai and Rigby's room. He gestured all around. "This is where you sleep?" His eyes flickered to a group picture the gang had taken days ago. It was placed on Mordecai's nightstand.

Mordecai silently prayed he didn't dwell on the picture too much.

"It's a perfectly fine room, Dad." Mordecai said, staring at his feet.

"My son. The grounds keeper." Malachi said with fake cheer. "They say to me, 'Malachi? Wasn't your son blowing that horn about being a great artist one day?' and I'll tell them, 'Oh no, no, no! Mordecai's not an artist. He's a grounds keeper!'"

"I still make art, Dad."

"'But Malachi? Didn't Mordecai beg you to send him to an arts college? Even though he was a shoe in for MIT?' 'Yes,' I'll respond. 'But Mordecai was so talented in picking up dog crap, he just couldn't stay away!'"

Mordecai said, simply, "This is a respectable line of work, **Dad**."

"Respectable for who? Respectable for that Rigby kid, maybe, but not for you." Malachi suddenly softened. "Not for my son."

"Any work Rigby does is good enough for me," Mordecai said.

Malachi stared at Mordecai as if he were crazy. "What did I do?"

"Don't talk about me like I'm some bum," Mordecai said, running his hands through his hair.

"What did I do to turn you into..." Malachi gestured to Mordecai's sweater. "This! Just look at you! I didn't want this for you at all!"

"Has it ever even occurred to you that I like it here?" Mordecai snapped. "Or that I'm happy?"

"Impossible."

"Why is it so hard for you to believe? I'm not some doctor or whatever, yeah, but. I've got friends here and Benson..." Mordecai stopped himself when Malachi looked up at Benson's name. "I'm happy here."

Malachi took a deep breath and walked towards Mordecai. He held Mordecai's shoulders.

"Listen. I managed to pull some strings at the company and get you some interviews with the higher ups. If I promise to pay for anything you need this month, will you go?"

Mordecai pushed his father's hands off his shoulders, "You didn't hear a _damn_ thing I said!"

"Watch your language," Malachi warned. "I didn't have to do this, you know."

Mordecai released a breath, feeling helpless and small. "Is that the only reason you came here? To tell me my life sucks and guilt trip me into getting another job?"

"Don't be so dramatic," Malachi rolled his eyes. He went over to Mordecai's nightstand and picked up the group picture. His eyes lingered on it, trying to find something he knew was there.

Mordecai shifted uncomfortably. Malachi seemed frozen forever in that position, until finally he set the picture down.

Malachi rubbed his temples. "The gumball machine... How old is he?"

"Benson's thirty-three," answered Mordecai.

"And how is he? As a _boss_, I mean?"

Laughing bitterly Mordecai replied, "Horrible. Sometimes, we plan on smothering him in his sleep."

"You're not funny," Malachi said, glaring.

Neither man would say anything to start the conversation up again. Mordecai wondered if the picture had given them away, but it couldn't have. There were six of them in that picture. But he was next to Benson, with his arm around his neck.

"Is _Benson_... and the others... Worth decades of wondering if you could've had something better?" Malachi questioned.

Mordecai immediately became suspicious of his father's wording; he answered as vaguely as possible.

"There are people here, in the house, at this park, who are worth ten million of those snotty jobs you have lined up for me at that white collar hellhole."

Malachi laughed at the floor, as if Mordecai was this foolish little kid. Of _course_ Mordecai would say something so naive. Of _course_ he'd be happy settling for this.

"Your mother would be... So proud."

That was the moment Mordecai reverted back to that angry teenager, that kid who simply didn't give a shit anymore because the only person who could help him in these fights with his dad was dead and buried.

"My mother," Mordecai spat out, "Was a goddamn saint. And if she saw me today she'd applaud the fact I didn't sell my soul for the privilege of putting my name on a shitty parking spot. She'd love the guys. She'd love..." Mordecai cleared his mind of the sad realization Benson would never meet her. The only person Mordecai had to offer up was his father. "She'd love how happy I am."

Malachi threw up his hands. "Alright! I get the picture. I offer some fatherly advice, and I'm the bad guy." He wiped a smudge off his glasses and pushed them back on. "I'll be going now. But when you find yourself in this same room, thirty some years from now, don't you dare say your old man didn't give you fair warning."

"I think you should go," Mordecai said. His hands threatened to ball up into fists. "I think you should go right now."

Malachi stood in front of the door, ready to open it, when he turned to Mordecai.

"Really though? All of this ruckus just for a crummy park job?"

Mordecai knew he couldn't live with himself if he let his anger get the best of him and beat the shit out of his dad right then in there. The adrenaline made Mordecai run up to the door and push it open.

Benson was standing there, surprised at the sudden action.

"I... I'm sorry," Benson said, looking at Malachi for the first time. It was scary how much Mordecai looked like him. "I'm Benson, Mr. Cornfield. I was just... I was just up here..."

"You're not worth a day in my son's life. Let alone decades," Malachi said to Benson, disgustedly, then walked roughly past him and down the stairs.

"E-excuse me?"

Mordecai screamed after his father, not caring if the entire house heard him, "You never come here again! You fucking understand?"

The front door slammed. Benson stared at it like it was something he had never seen before.

_"I... I'm having trouble remembering what happened after that." Mordecai admitted._

_Benson looked down at his wringing hands. "You never told me he said that."_

_"Continue with it, Bluebird." Maellard demanded, though he was less forceful, and he refused to meet Mordecai's eyes._

_"Alright," Mordecai sighed._

"That bastard!" Mordecai held his head in his hands as he angrily paced around Benson's apartment. "How could he say all of that shit to me? To you?"

"You said you and him became different people after your mom died," Benson said, trying to calm Mordecai down.

"Am I a failure?" Mordecai asked Benson, point blank.

It broke Benson's heart that Mordecai had to ask. "Mordecai. You're not a failure."

"I wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to be painting murals, writing novels... Interviewing sculptors..." Mordecai laughed at himself. He felt hollow. "I should have been crunching numbers at a bank somewhere."

"You hate math," Benson pointed out.

"It's not about what you hate, it's about what puts money in your pocket," Mordecai said.

"Is that something he told you?"

"Doesn't make it any less true."

Benson nodded. "So, you agree with your dad then? About you not living the life you're supposed to be living?"

Mordecai closed his eyes and stopped pacing.

"I don't know, Ben. Maybe? I never grew up thinking I'd be working at a park all my life."

"But you're happy here." Benson signaled for Mordecai to sit down next to him. "... I'm happy with you here."

Mordecai sighed, "I'm happy knowing I make you happy. But what about five years from know? Or ten? You don't build a career on 'being happy'. That's how you end up homeless."

Benson nodded again. "Not to sound rude, but your dad comes off as an ass."

Mordecai sank into Benson's couch.

"He's a rational ass."

"Okay. I'm going to need you to shut up," Benson said, sinking into his couch as well. "You're pacing around here, calling yourself a failure all because your dad, some... Professor of Bullshitology tells you so. That's not you, Mordecai."

"He's a professor at one of the best universities in the west coast," Mordecai said. "He'd know if I was a failure or not."

"I'm your boss. As well as your boyfriend. And I say you're not a failure."

"That's really nice of you to say but... Wait!" Mordecai's eyebrows went to high heaven. "Did you just... Did you just claim me?"

Benson smiled, albeit apprehensively.

"Yes I did. And I don't date failures. Or guys who think they're failures."

They never referred to themselves as boyfriends. There was this one time, when they were out and Mordecai saw an old friend from art school and the horrible moment happened when his friend just waited for Mordecai to formula introduce him to Benson.

He couldn't say Benson was just his boss. How suspicious does that sound? And he couldn't tell the truth. He could have reacted negatively. Thankfully Benson thought on his toes and said he was a potential buyer, interested in some portraits Mordecai had painted.

The label was... It was nice, Mordecai supposed. They had been together for a year. Mordecai knew they'd have to use the term "boyfriend" eventually.

Mordecai went back to the problem at hand. "I don't think I'm a failure per say... I just think my dad's right in saying this wasn't my dream. What did you want to be when you were a kid?"

"Seriously?" Benson's tongue stuck out of his mouth as he thought about it. "A sniper."

"Whoa. Why?"

"So I could hurt anyone I wanted and get away with it."

Mordecai wasn't sure how to respond to Benson's serious expression, but then Benson began to laugh, "I wanted to be a rock star, Mordecai! You know that."

"Right. So doesn't it piss you off that you practiced on those drums day and night and never got to make your childhood dream come true?"

"I get to play drums whenever I want, and I'm living on my own terms," Benson said proudly. "My life isn't perfect but it's pretty good. And trust me, my childhood dream came true."

"What do you mean?"

Benson said, flatly, "My dad lying in an alley somewhere, choking on his own vomit. Sweet sixteen, _indeed_."

Mordecai's eyes widened. Benson smiled a small, broken smile and let his eyes fall on a sleeping Oren.

It had occurred to Mordecai that he wasn't the only one in this relationship that had issues with their father.

"I guess everyone has their deal... I just... I still want to _please_ him, y'know? 'Cause deep down I know he's right."

Mordecai started to watch Oren too. He was still pretty cold to him, but Mordecai was sure the animal would become friendlier.

"Or maybe you know your dad's wrong and it scares you."

"I'm not so sure about that."

He made eye contact with Mordecai. "I've seen some of your drawings. Your dad is** wrong**, Mordecai."

Mordecai got that wonderful floating feeling. That feeling he always got when Benson kissed him, or gave him knowing looks during staff meetings.

Benson pulled back his yellow wool sleeve and looked at his watch. "It's late. Are you staying or going?"

"Staying. I told Rigby I'd be downtown."

"Doing what?" Benson asked.

"Just checking out the scene... Rigby doesn't ask questions."

Of course, Mordecai was actually getting around to that journalist job. They had seen some of his watercolors and wanted to have a proper interview. But he couldn't tell Benson that. It felt bad lying to Benson so soon in the relationship... Their year long relationship... Mordecai felt his insides jump.

Suddenly, Benson warmly embraced Mordecai. It was nice, don't misunderstand, but it threw him for a loop.

Mordecai never thought Benson could be so... Soft.

"Thank you," Benson said in Mordecai's ear.

In Benson's ear, Mordecai asked, "What did I do?"

"You didn't freak out. When I said that thing about my dad and the... Alley vomit."

They laughed at how ridiculous that sounded (in retrospect that was pretty fucked up) and Mordecai delivered a quick peck to Benson's lips.

"Well, thanks for not thinking I'm a failure. And calling my dad an ass. That was pretty funny."

Benson lightly kissed him back.

"The simplest things amuse you," said Benson.

"I'm a very simple person."

Mordecai felt around for Benson's hands.

"I know," Benson slyly smiled.

Mordecai kissed Benson, and began to deepen it. Benson seemed initially surprised, but went along with the kiss anyway. They broke the connection only to dive right back in, stronger than ever. Desiring a little more, they made their tongues shyly dance around each other's.

It was around that time Mordecai's hands started to wander, which as Mordecai learned before, was dangerous for his health.

Benson had made it very, painfully clear he wasn't totally comfortable with the idea of them having sex. And Mordecai accepted that (reluctantly) and got through the year with cold showers and insane amounts of baby lotion and Kleenex.

Anything above the dispenser was fine, and it was usually enough to get him through the night. Though sometimes he'd have to resort to thinking of Muscle Man before things spiraled out of control.

Benson moaned inside of Mordecai's mouth, and when Mordecai grinded down on him Benson moaned louder and his small body shuddered.

Mordecai wasn't sure if it was just forgetfulness on Benson's part (any minute he'd yell at Mordecai to stop and he wasn't ready for that and blah, blah, blah, blah) or if Benson was feeling especially frisky today. Either way, Mordecai wasn't complaining.

Then Mordecai had gotten bold and let his fingers experimentally run up and down Benson's thigh. The older man quickly grabbed Mordecai's hand.

"Mordecai," Benson said looking up at him.

"I'm sorry. I know you've got this whole... thing... But I'm just so damn turned _on_-"

"Mordecai, come to the bedroom with me."

Mordecai saw the man beneath him; he looked for any indication Benson was bluffing or messing around, and couldn't find any. Still, he was skeptical.

"This is the meanest prank anyone's ever pulled on me."

Benson pushed himself up and put a hand to the back of Mordecai's head as he kissed him. He pulled away, with a piercing gaze. "I'm ready for this if you are."

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Mordecai, scooping Benson over his shoulder, going over to his bedroom door and opening it with his foot.

"Whoa!" Benson shouted at the sudden burst of energy Mordecai displayed. "Mordecai, I still think we should!-"

Once inside the room, Mordecai closed the door with the same foot, threw Benson down on his bed and hovered over him with a devilish grin.

"You have no idea what you're in for," Mordecai crashed his lips against Benson's, and started to pull that god awful sweater from Benson's body.

Benson gripped onto his arms to stop him.

"I'm starting to feel like I'm in a Lifetime Movie!"

Mordecai tilted his head, not getting what Benson was saying.

"What's wrong?" Mordecai questioned, straddling his would be conquest.

Benson leaned back on his elbows. "You went from sensitive lover to college frat boy in a matter of seconds!"

Mordecai stared down at himself, and then back at Benson's face. "How do you mean?"

Benson sat fully up and adjusted his sweater. No one's been in his bedroom before. And it was hard for Benson to imagine this happening on a fairly regular basis. Mordecai... In his bedroom... In his personal space... In more ways than one... Benson wasn't sure he could get used to that.

"The over the shoulder thing was a bit much," Benson said, looking away from Mordecai.

Mordecai nodded understandingly, then let his fingers tickle and tease along Benson's arms. He kissed that spot on Benson's neck that caused him to snort in the dorkiest way.

Benson wanted it slow and sweet? Mordecai thought he could handle that.

"I've been dreaming," Mordecai kissed, "about this," he kissed again, "since I saw you," Benson's eyes fluttered shut, "in that little cricket costume."

"That was the sweetest weird thing anyone has ever said to me," is what Benson meant to say, because it was true, but Mordecai kissing him all over made it come out as "Nngh..."

"I'll do whatever you tell me to do," Mordecai said as he took each of Benson's metal hands and let him slowly fall onto his back once more.

Benson rubbed his hands down Mordecai's chest and when he got to the hem of his sweater, he pulled it over Mordecai's head.

The sweaters were gone. It was just those two, alone, on Benson's sheets, in each other's arms.

"Just... go slow," Benson whispered, looking up at Mordecai with trusting eyes.

Mordecai spread Benson's-

_"I get the picture," Maellard said, grimacing._

_Benson said, staring at Mordecai in disbelief, "You were about to describe us having... relations... for Maellard!"_

_"What? No! Of course not! I was totally not going to do that! Really! I was going to say I had spread your sheets out. So we could lie on them. Duh."_

_"**Right**," Benson said accusingly._

_"I'll skip to the morning after, okay? Jesus!"_

Mordecai and Benson were tangled up in each other the same way their horrible green and yellow sweaters were tangled up on the floor. The bedsheets twisted around their bodies and made them rub and brush each other in a tickling, pleasurable way.

Benson laid his head on Mordecai's chest, being comforted by his breathing.

It was almost nine, and they had to go back to the park eventually, but not then. Then, they had each other, and no one could take that away.

"I feel..." Mordecai started, "I feel amazing. It all felt so... _amazing_. How... How was it for you?"

Benson slowly opened his eyes, looked up at Mordecai and simply said in a euphoric and dreamy voice, "I haven't been screwed like that since high school."

_"Obviously, you're embellishing, young man," Maellard scowled._

_Benson said, scratching the back of his head, "I did... actually... say... that..."_

Benson attached himself closer to Mordecai's side, and whispered random, dopey things most people ramble on about after they have sex.

Through the sex induced nonsense, Mordecai caught Benson saying, and he swore this is what he said, "I'd take a grounds keeper like you over a professor like your dad any day."

Mordecai held him closer, and he kissed Benson so gently it felt like nothing at all, but he couldn't help but think Benson would be choosing wrong if he was ever presented with that choice.

**4. I'm Not in Love **

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((**

Maellard nodded. Benson and Mordecai looked on, expectantly.

"Was there any moment were you discouraged the relationship, Benton?"

Benson opened his mouth to answer, but Mordecai interrupted him.

"Benson was clear that our relationship was inappropriate. I just... I just didn't care." Mordecai straightened up in his seat. "I was selfish."

"I was more selfish. I took advantage of my manager position," Benson admitted, looking over to Mordecai.

Maellard told them both with a frown, "Bad decisions were made all around. And wouldn't you know it? I haven't been convinced to save you from the unemployment line, Baton."

"Please. Just... let me finish the story," Mordecai pleaded.

Maellard rolled his eyes. "If you wish. But my mind will be unchanged."

_"Thank you, sir. So, in the beginning of December of that same year-"_

"Hey! You know who else had a miracle kid?" Muscle Man began, setting up the Nativity scene on the lawn for the thousandth time. "My mom!"

"I swear to God I'm gonna beat the shit out of you with baby Jesus," Rigby threatened.

Muscle Man and High Five Ghost laughed off Rigby's threat (because he's Rigby) and slapped their hands together high in the air. Mordecai rolled his eyes.

"You guys get more annoying every year," Mordecai groaned.

Muscle Man smirked, "Says you."

Mordecai and Rigby readjusted the inflatable menorah more to the left, and when they were confident it wouldn't flop over they helped Muscle Man and High Fives with the placing the fake farm animals and the Virgin Mary.

"So, I hear Mr. C's still throwing a shit fit since you last saw him," Rigby said, tactfully.

"Shit fit" was putting it mildly. His father only called once between Thanksgiving and now, and that was to tell him he wasn't Mordecai's emergency contact anymore.

"He'll get over it," Mordecai said, focusing on the task at hand.

Muscle Man offered, with a slight shrug, "Sometimes it's good to have your old man push you. Makes you strong."

"Not necessarily," High Fives sighed. "If it wasn't for my father, I'd probably still have my body."

"Didn't you die in a mosh pit?" Rigby questioned with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah... But I only went to that mosh pit to prove my point."

"And what was that bro?" Muscle Man asked.

High Fives blinked a few times. "I don't remember."

"Okay," Mordecai threw down a plastic lamb. "I appreciate this. Really, but I don't want to talk about dads anymore."

Muscle Man and High Fives said nothing else, but Rigby huffed and poked at the baby Jesus.

"What did you do to make him so pissed? Is it that art school crap again?"

"Yeah. sort of. I really don't want to talk about it, Rigby."

"Okay, okay. I get it. I can't relate 'cause my parents are dead and all. But whatever it is you were fighting about, I'd try to forget about it." Rigby put baby Jesus where he needed to be.

Joseph looked down at Jesus so lovingly, Mordecai almost forgot he was made of plastic.

Did Joseph know Jesus was going to be this huge deal? Maybe he saw greatness in Jesus from the moment he was born. Mordecai tried to imagine having someone believe in you so strongly...

Of course they'd be crushed if you didn't live up to that potential.

"My dad's always had a stick up his ass," Mordecai said, still staring at the plastic savior.

Rigby scoffed, "Your dad has a _forest_ up his ass... Just out of the blue, you ever get Benson to green light 'Hoagie Day'?"

_"You're beginning to bore me, son," Maellard warned._

_"I'm getting there... I promise I'm getting there."_

Benson shredded the last of the previous year's memos, and patted himself on the back. Not too much roof/water/psychological damage this year. That was an improvement.

It had begun to lightly snow outside. As much as Benson loved looking at it, he cursed the fact he'd have to drive home in it. Maybe Mordecai could walk him home?

"Hey," a voice said, accompanied by a small knock.

Benson looked on, curious. "Come in!"

Mordecai entered Benson's office, wearing his blue hoodie and a dark blue scarf, and walked up to his desk. He was not smiling.

"Ben."

"Mordecai, hey!" Benson lit up. "You finished your chores for today?"

"Yeah."

"Great! We can go back to my apartment before the snow gets too bad." Benson got up from his seat and stood on his toes to kiss Mordecai on the cheek.

Mordecai flinched away. "_Benson_."

Benson laughed at Mordecai's expression.

"Is my coffee breath that bad?" Mordecai shook his head "no". Benson's face became twisted with amusement and confusion. Maybe Mordecai was guilty about something? "Okay... What did you break?"

"I didn't break anything, Benson, I just-"

"Then stop acting weird and take me home," Benson shoved Mordecai playfully then slid a hand down his arm before holding on and pulling Mordecai towards the door.

Mordecai wouldn't budge.

"I..." Mordecai looked everywhere but Benson's eyes. "I made some phone calls today."

"So have I," Benson laughed. "Get to your point."

"First I called my dad. And I apologized."

Benson was now totally confused, but chuckled, waiting for the punchline. "But... you had nothing to apologize for."

Mordecai took in a shaky breath. "We talked... And he agreed to let me try the newspaper thing. For up to year. Then I'd try his way."

"What newspaper thing?" Benson asked. But Benson didn't want to know. He was still waiting for the part where Mordecai said he was joking.

"That was my second phone call," Mordecai noticeably shifted his body away.

Benson looked lost.

"So... you're working two jobs. This one and the newspaper," Benson said.

"I quit."

Benson reacted like Mordecai had slapped him. Mordecai sucked on his teeth. He was waiting for the yelling.

Instead Benson stayed very quiet.

"Why?"

"I can't argue with someone that I know is right. I can't be here, knowing I could've been someone better... Had something better..."

Benson shook his head defiantly. "You're a better person _now_."

Mordecai swallowed, and spoke clearly so Benson couldn't misconstrue his words.

"I don't want to wake up every day, doing the same routine and getting the same crappy paycheck so I can look at some... Existentialist douche splash paint around and live my life. I was going to be an artist-"

"You are already," Benson said.

"A _real_ artist. But I'm not. Instead, I'm Mordecai the Grounds keeper... I'm stuck here. With you." Mordecai paused, and Benson stared on with hurt, angry eyes. "So I'm doing the next best thing, and hopefully this whole grounds keeper thing was just a phase. And... I really don't think it would be smart for us to carry on like... This..."

Benson stood, dumbstruck.

"What do you want me to say to that?"

"Congratulations maybe? I mean, a slacker like me is actually doing something with his life," Mordecai said, looking down at his feet.

"Doing something with your life? That's... Mordecai," Benson's breathing became heavy, and he took in a sharp breath, "Were you... Were you _planning_ this?"

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," Mordecai groaned.

"You_ were_. You were planning to just... up and leave when this whole thing was set in your favor," Benson said, eyes wet and shiny. "And you just... You saw an opportunity to get free shit from your boss."

"I never had those intentions," Mordecai defended himself, feeling attacked. Here he was, trying to finally prove to everyone he wasn't a failure, and Benson couldn't just shut the fuck up and be happy for him.

Dick.

"You sure didn't turn any of that stuff down, now did you?" Benson was finding it hard to control his volume, "**Did you**?"

"This is precisely why we shouldn't stay together. I'm trying to move up the social ladder, and you're acting like this... Jilted lover." Mordecai rolled his eyes. "Dad warned me about this."

"Since when do you take your _dad's_ advice?" Benson asked, sounding hysterical.

"Since I realized the man was only trying to help me! You said yourself you don't date failures. So let me be on my way onto becoming a success." Mordecai threw up his hands. "Everybody wins!"

"Are you listening to yourself? Seriously? You're..." Benson felt out of breath, "You're leaving me because your dad, of all people, says I'm holding you back? That makes no _sense_, Mordecai!"

"Why can't you be happy for me?" Mordecai finally shouted. "I'd be happy for you if you wanted to become a drummer!"

"My point exactly! I already _am_ a drummer! I play the occasional show and I'm also a park manager! There is more than one way to live out your dreams!"

"Says you!" Mordecai said, frustrated.

Benson shook his head, because it was the only thing that helped the spinning and the dizziness and the utter shock.

"I can't believe you're actually breaking up with me like this..."

"Think of this as a learning experience." Mordecai snapped. This conversation was lasting way past its expiration date and he had to get out of there. He had to escape how horrible Benson was making him feel. "Like, now you know not to fuck your employees."

Benson blinked a few times, and Mordecai realized he was on the edge of tears.

That came out... Much harsher than he intended...

It was like Benson was a weaker version of himself. His eyes unblinking and empty. His mouth formed a straight line.

Mordecai reached into his hoodie pocket to get something. With a jingle, Mordecai pulled out his keys and held them out to Benson.

"You've moved your stuff out?" Benson asked. It was like he wasn't mentally there anymore.

Mordecai nodded.

"Last night."

"Of course," Benson stared at him with a blank expression, as if he were having a nightmarish daydream.

"This wasn't easy for me. At all. And it hurts a lot, and I'm so sorry, but I'm just..." Mordecai trailed off. He had made his point.

Benson felt his face slowly grow red and hot, but he held it in. The anger, the sadness; he could already feel his fists clenching. But he held strong.

"That's fine," Benson's throat dried up. "You... You need to be off the premises by four."

He wouldn't take Mordecai's keys. Mordecai wanted to take it back, because he didn't mean it goddamn it and it came out all wrong and he just wanted to be better... But he couldn't let up.

He was going to live up to his potential.

"Like I already mentioned. I'm sorry," Mordecai quickly threw his keys on Benson's desk and headed out of his office door.

"I _never_ want to see you again," Benson said, but Mordecai was already gone, and Benson was too quiet for even himself to hear, and he hoped he could avoid collapsing into himself before he got home.


	3. The Serenade and The Verdict

**5. This Magic Moment **

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_"Predictably, two weeks later, I realized how much of an asshole I was. But I was too proud to say so..."_

"Benson can we hurry this meeting up? I got a glass of Muscle Milk with my name on it!" Muscle Man complained.

In the living room, Benson stood in front of the group and flipped through his clipboard, searching for that day's agenda. He didn't respond to Muscle Man.

Rigby studied his boss. Something... Something was off about Benson.

"Today," Benson said, squinting his eyes. "Today on the agenda..."

He looked tired. Like, really exhausted. And Rigby wouldn't be surprised if Benson hadn't eaten in days.

Benson blinked at his clipboard with red eyes. He couldn't read his own rushed, pissed off handwriting.

"I think we were going to start looking for a new grounds keeper?" High Five Ghost spoke up.

Benson nodded slowly, "Yeah. Um, because of... Recent developments we're going to have to get the word out there that help is wanted." Benson looked up and saw the park staff looking at him like he was about to faint. "What?"

"You okay, bro?" Muscle Man asked, genuinely concerned.

Benson snapped, "I'm fine."

Pops shook his head disbelievingly. "But you look famished, Benson! And quite exhausted, I might add."

"I'm fine, Pops," Benson said, less harsh.

Skips sat back and said nothing, watching Benson like he was some exotic animal. Rigby said nothing because he had no idea what the hell was going on. Was Benson like, sad or something?

"Okay, whatever. So other than finding Mordecai's replacement, what are we gonna do all day?" Muscle Man said while biting off a hangnail.

Rigby saw something inside of Benson just... rip. He tucked the clipboard under his arm, headed up to his office and quietly ordered them, "Everyone just clean something."

The staff (besides Rigby) looked amongst themselves, collectively shrugged and went to enjoy their unofficial day off.

Rigby waited until everyone was gone to follow Benson.

_"Wait," Benson said rubbing his eyelids, "Wait, wait, wait. How do you know all this?"_

_Mordecai smiled guiltily. "Bros hide nothing from bros."_

"Son of a bitch!" Rigby heard Benson yell. The exclamation was followed by something made of glass smashing.

Rigby stood outside Benson's office door, listening to what was probably his most intense tantrum in... Ever. And after a good fourteen minutes or so, the raging stopped. Then, just silence.

Rigby gently pushed the door open ever so slightly, not trying be too obvious.

Benson sat next to a pile of broken glass and a wooden frame, legs criss-crossed as he stared intensely at a picture. He didn't seem to notice Rigby, so the raccoon figured he could leave then and pretend he didn't see the broken chairs, and the papers thrown all over the floor and thirty-something gumball machine brooding over a staff photo.

Rigby took one step backwards, when Benson took a gasping breath.

"I can see you, idiot." Benson didn't even look up from the picture in his shaking metal hands. Rigby felt his bones literally chilling. "Why are you here?"

"Uh..." Rigby couldn't figure that out for himself. "Skips... sent me up here."

Benson didn't question him further, as he usually would have, and stayed fixated on the photo.

Or rather, a particular section of the photo.

After winning a professional trolley race against a squirrel... It wasn't as interesting as it sounded... Pops just had to get everyone in a picture. They all protested whilst gathering around in a pose. However, through the years those pictures had gotten less awkward and more like embarrassing family portraits.

But then, Rigby noticed a heavy shift in the whole "family vibe" when it came to his bro and his boss. Mordecai, in a moment of pure bliss, reached an arm around Benson's shoulders and held the other close.

Now it wasn't a big makeout session, but Rigby wasn't as stupid as people thought he was. He could pick up on subtleties like any other grown man his age.

"Damn thing... Damn thing flew off my desk when I opened the window," Benson said, not even bothering with the fake laugh.

Rigby didn't point out that none of the windows were open. Or the fact that Benson's desk was too far away and too heavy for a normal gust off wind to do such a thing. Though it did look like a hurricane went through the room.

"You must be in Heaven right now," said Rigby, nervously laughing. "All the 'shenanigans' that went on here will be cut in half, now that Mordecai's gone."

Benson's head snapped up to look at Rigby. His eyes were redder than ever, and looked puffy and damp. He crumpled up the picture and threw it in a trash bin next to his desk.

"Get out of my office and... I don't know. Go play video games."

Benson got on his knees to pick up larger pieces of broken glass.

Rigby blinked a few times, taken aback.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look like shit," Rigby said.

Suddenly, the larger bits of glass slipped from Benson's hands and he looked at Rigby with such... defeat.

"Leave me alone. _Please_."

It actually sounded like Benson was pleading. Benson was _pleading_ Rigby to go away, rather than yelling at him or threatening to fire him.

Rigby nodded in an understanding way, and turned on his heel to leave Benson's office. He paused when he placed a paw on the door knob.

"He isn't much happier either," Rigby said to Benson. "I'm sure... I'm positive he'll realize that he fucked up."

Benson pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

"Please just go."

_"Meanwhile," Mordecai continued, "I was at the Coffee Shop."_

_"Is this the part where you persuade me not to have you arrested?" Maellard asked in a bored tone._

_"Honestly? I friggin' hope so."_

Mordecai sat alone at him and Rigby's usual spot, sketching something that happened to pop into his head. Margaret glided over to him and set Mordecai's coffee down in silence.

Mordecai looked up at her, and her disappointed face, then huffed.

"What is it, Margaret?"

"I just don't get why you had to break up with **Benson**!" Margaret loudly complained.

Mordecai angrily shushed her. "A little louder, Margaret, the people across the street didn't hear you!"

Margaret sat down in a stool facing Mordecai. She was frowning, and Mordecai could tell she was upset with him, but at the same time she still held on to her general softness.

"I'm sorry, alright? But I care about you. And so I have to technically care about... You know who... Too." Margaret shrugged.

Mordecai turned his sketch upside to get a better angle. Then he erased a few lines and redrew them.

"He's not a part of my life anymore, so technically, no you don't."

"It doesn't work that way, Mordecai. I mean, we-" Margaret gestured between the two of them, "don't date anymore, and I see you more than Rigby!"

"Because Rigby's a bad boyfriend," Mordecai scoffed.

"Because I still care about you! Stupid! And I'm not even in love with you anymore. I can only imagine how much you care for... 'He Who Must Not Be Named' ... While you're still-"

"I'm gonna stop you there," said Mordecai, holding up his hands. "Me and... him... were never more than that."

Margaret stared fiery daggers at the blue jay.

"You are so lying and you know it. Remember when you guys first kissed? Remember? Who was the first person to know?"

Mordecai rolled his eyes and rubbed a part of his sketch to create a smudged effect. He sighed, "You were. But that was on accident."

"Remember how frightened you were? How excited and dizzy and happy? You were reciting lines from the Symposium, for Christ's sake! Mordecai," Margaret sadly smiled. "Mordecai. You were in love."

"Keyword being 'were'," Mordecai mumbled.

He made a few final strokes, and then held it up to Margaret.

A cat pawed at a little toy bird that strongly resembled Mordecai. The feline had soft, smoky features that made it a little too mature to be cute, but Margaret felt like swooning anyway.

She studied it for a moment longer, then knowingly grinned.

"It's a French tabby cat. What compelled you to draw that?"

Mordecai looked at his sketch himself, then at Margaret, then back at the sketch again.

"I'm not sure. Pulse wanted a sample of what I could do. So... This came to mind."

"Isn't that Benson's favorite breed of cat?"

"I wouldn't be sure," said Mordecai, irritated.

"Oh my God you're still in love with him!" Margaret shouted and stood up from her stool. Mordecai stood up to sit her back down and shush her harshly again.

He scolded Margaret, giving a dirty look, "Seriously? What part of 'Don't out me to strangers' don't you get?"

Margaret clucked her tongue and shook her head.

"I don't care what that dad of yours says! And you shouldn't either! You were happy with-" Margaret lowered her voice to a whisper, "_Benson_, and while you worked at the park, you're already more successful than most people. Including your dad."

Mordecai flipped his sketch over. Why was everyone fighting him on this? He couldn't undo what he did, Benson was in the past, so why were they trying to push him backward?

"You can't pay the bills by being happy, Margaret," Mordecai told her.

She put a hand up, "I agree. And as someone living pay check to pay check, I'd normally applaud any legal and/or semi-legal method to get those dead presidents. But can I ask you a question?"

Mordecai took a sip of his coffee. It was getting cold. He made an awkward face at the change of temperature in his beverage and nodded, "Yeah. Shoot."

"If you didn't feel you had to choose would you be with him right now?" questioned Margaret, resting her head on her hand and staring intently into Mordecai's eyes.

"What do you mean 'choose'? Between what and what?"

"Between... You know who and living up to your potential, or whatever bullshit your dad brainwashed you with."

"Well... If there was a way to have both... I guess I'd try to make it happen. But I can't have both, Margaret. That's why I'm here in the first place."

"Right. That's why your here. Drinking cold coffee and drawing pictures of your ex-lover's favorite kind of cat."

Mordecai stared blankly at Margaret. Margaret, not being the kind of girl to get intimidated easily, stared right on back. Eventually, Mordecai pushed the coffee towards Margaret.

"Speaking of which, could you please give me another?"

Margaret stood up, picked up the mug and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm going to get you another cup, then I'm going into the back to call Rigby, who is apparently promoted to the smarter one out of you both," Mordecai rolled his eyes. Margaret continued, "before I go, promise me you'll think about something."

"Sure, Margaret," Mordecai said exasperatedly. "What is it this time?"

And then, Margaret just looked pissed at Mordecai for even daring to exist.

"You saw that between moving on from your mother's death and being there for you, and being a 'success', your dad chose success, right?"

"Right," Mordecai said. He added, sounding one part bitter and another part admiring, "He's the highest ranked professor in his field."

"And who does he go home to at the end of the day?"

Mordecai opened his mouth to answer, but stopped himself when he realized he had no answer.

Margaret kept eye contact with Mordecai for a bit longer, then went off to get his coffee.

Keeping his promise, Mordecai thought about it.

_Benson furrowed his eyebrows. "You told Margaret about us before you told Rigby?"_

_"It was an accident!" Mordecai persisted. "She heard me talking to you over the phone. She wouldn't believe any of the usual lies."_

_Maellard coughed especially loud, and the other two men gave him their full attention._

_"Gentlemen, it has been two hours and I'm quite sure I want Beanstalk fired and you locked up in the smallest cell imaginable."_

_"Mr. Maellard sir, I've saved the best for last."_

_Mordecai sent an encouraging smile to his gumball machine boyfriend. Benson frowned._

After leaving the Coffee Shop, Mordecai stood underneath a street lamp and watched the falling snowflakes.

Three days from now, it was going to be Christmas.

When was the last Christmas he had with his mother?... Mordecai closed his eyes so he could remember... It didn't snow that year... And his father had taken the week off. They had made cookies... No. The cookies burned and his mother had run down to the store and bought chocolate chip ones and Mountain Dew.

Mordecai was sure there were pieces of that memory missing.

He was sure the image he was getting of his father, an uptight yet easy-going writer who occasionally lectured at colleges, never really existed. If it did, what the hell happened?

The snow was coming down a little heavier. Mordecai decided to walk around and keep thinking about his father, per Margaret's request.

Who did he go home to? Well how was Mordecai supposed to know? After his mother died he hauled ass out of his childhood home, went to study art, moved to the city... Started working at the park... Met Pops, Skips, Muscle Man... Benson...

Mordecai had no idea what his father did or who he talked to between then and now. Probably because he didn't want to know, because Mordecai didn't care.

The snow froze his feet to the bone as he strolled along the sidewalk. Mordecai unknowingly started to stare up at the sky as he moved. Passersby gave him curious looks but otherwise left him alone.

Was his father ever in a situation like his? Mordecai knew the man wasn't some robot. Malachi loved his wife... Mordecai was sure Malachi loved him probably... Did he choose them over college in San Francisco? Or did Malachi make his choice when he started teaching full time?

Before he knew what he was doing, Mordecai was taking his cellphone out of his coat pocket and dialing his father's number. He was surprised he remembered it.

After the sound of rustling and someone clearing their throat, Malachi answered.

"Mordecai?"

Mordecai laughed out of nervousness, "Dad, hey."

A pause. The pause is uncomfortable and Mordecai can imagine his father tapping his foot in aggravation.

"Something I can do for you son?"

"No, Dad. Actually-"

"Then why are you calling me? "

Mordecai cringed. "I just wanted to say hello. I can't say hello?"

Another pause. Right now, Malachi was probably checking his watch, counting the minutes until the conversation was over.

"Seriously son. What do you need?"

"Well... Dad... I keep thinking about the last time we talked-"

"Responsibility. Living up to your potential."

"Right," Mordecai saw a bench and headed over to sit on it. "and today I had a conversation with... a friend and she just had me thinking about my... situation."

"You're in a situation? What situation?"

"Me quitting my grounds keeper job, Dad."

Malachi sighed, satisfied, "Best decision you made in years."

"Um, my friend... She asked me if... You know, if it were possible to have it all?" Again, there was a pause. "Could I live up to my potential and... be happy at the park?"

"I don't... What are you suggesting, Mordecai? That a place like that can actually help you?"

"But, I just..." Mordecai softly hit his forehead with his fist. Why was this so hard to ask? "Back... back after Mom... passed and you had the choice of staying home with me or taking the professor position... why did you choose the way you chose?"

Silence. Again with the goddamn silence. It was Mordecai was having a conversation with himself.

"Your question to me is... why did I go out and teach... at one of the most prestigious universities mind you... provide you with a fine education and a warm bed and food on the table every night... instead of staying home like a housewife?"

"And I'm grateful for that. Everyday, I'm grateful for that, Dad. Thank you. But would it have been possible to do both? Spend time with me while you taught off and on?"

"... And keeping up with your hyperactivity along with that raccoon pal of yours? And dodging those asshole bill collectors? And even though I had made it very clear any contract she signed was automatically null and void, still paying off your mother's debt five years after..."

Mordecai jumped from the noise of Malachi slamming down the phone. If he concentrated, Mordecai could hear his father breathing in and out unevenly, as if he was hit with every and all emotions in the world at once and he couldn't let his son hear him trying to get a grip.

Mordecai hesitantly spoke, not even sure his dad would hear, "I... Dad... I'm so-"

"You want to know how to screw up? A sure fire way?"

"Um, Dad," Mordecai gripped his cellphone tighter.

"Fall in love with the temporary. You see a dream or a goal or a person and they make you happy, so happy you think they're forever. But then they fade away. Then you remember. Then you're left with unpaid bills, and social workers, and a son who looks at you like a stranger, and a cold empty bed for all your troubles."

Mordecai didn't respond at first.

How long has he been on that bench? It felt too long.

"Later... We'll continue this conversation, and... I have something to tell you... later."

"So much potential..." Malachi said, almost like a he was under a spell. "So much goddamn potential... Just like I had..."

Mordecai's eyes widened in alarm.

"Dad... I have to go."

_"For your sake, I'm just gonna skip the dramatic running through the snow and how much of a fool I was and blah, blah, blah..." Mordecai told Maellard._

_Maellard nodded, "Greatly appreciated."_

Mordecai knocked on the door again, frantically. Wasn't anybody home?

"Hello? Open the hell up! Benson? Rigby?"

The door shook with every hit of his fist. Mordecai just felt this surge of energy and enlightenment and for the first time in three weeks he was thinking and seeing clearly. He never thought he'd say it, but Mordecai had to admit he was a total douchebag.

But not anymore. He'd changed that. Or at least he could if someone would had opened the goddamn door!

"Who is it?" a gruff, worn voice implored.

Probably Skips, Mordecai thought.

"Skips!" Mordecai shouted, "Skips, it's me Mordecai!"

"Mordecai?" Skips quizzically said. "Hold on a sec."

Mordecai could hear the skipping footsteps approach the door, and when Skips finally opened up he zoomed past the white yeti and flew up the stairs.

"Benson!" Mordecai screamed, unable to help the smile spreading across his face. He flung open Benson's office door and stopped at the doorway. "Benson! I-"

The room was empty. Benson's desk was there, and his other crap was there, but Benson himself was absent.

"Mordo! Bro!" Rigby called from the end of the hallway. "Mags told me you'd be stoppin' by... What's with the huffing and puffing?"

"Rigby!" Mordecai ran to Rigby and picked him up by the sides.

"Whoa! What the hell, man?"

Rigby stiffened at Mordecai's sudden action. Margaret did warn him that Mordecai was acting especially weird this morning.

"Where is Benson?"

Rigby squirmed in Mordecai's grasp. "What? Put me down!"

Skips climbed up the steps, and when he saw Mordecai with Rigby in his grasp he exasperatedly told him, "You can't just come in here without permission. You don't work here anymore, Mordecai. Now put Rigby down you're scaring him."

"Skips!" Rigby reached his hands out to Skips. "Mordecai's gone batshit!"

Mordecai put Rigby down and pointed to Benson's office.

"Benson!"

"What?" Skips asked with a confused expression.

"Benson! Benson! Where's Benson?"

"Dude he's not here," said Rigby.

Skips and Rigby were beginning to stare at him funny. They didn't get it. Mordecai just... He had to find Benson, and then everything could be handled from there.

Muscle Man and High Five Ghost rushed upstairs, getting ready to throw some punches if need be. Their eyes laid on Mordecai and they settled themselves... Somewhat.

Muscle Man asked Skips, indignantly, "What's he doing here?"

"Do either of you guys know where Benson is? I really need to talk to him." explained Mordecai.

Skips, Muscle Man and High Fives stared at Mordecai until it became painfully clear that they weren't staring at all. They were trying to burn him alive telepathically.

It was then Mordecai realized he didn't leave the park on a high note.

"Benson and Pops stepped out," High Fives told Mordecai, "but I'm not sure we should tell you where."

Mordecai felt stuck. Not three weeks ago, he considered everyone of them friends. More than friends even. Family. And Benson of course more than family, but at that particular moment, his tight-knit group of bros looked about ready to bust his head open.

"Guys. You have no idea how much I regret leaving the way I did. It was fucked up-"

"Beyond fucked up." Muscle Man said coldly.

Mordecai corrected himself, "Beyond fucked up. But what's even more fucked up is why I left in the first place. I felt... I felt like a loser. And my asshole dad had me thinking working here was holding me back. And like a dumbass I listened to him."

Skips eased up in body language; his stance became less defensive and he seemed to be listening to Mordecai's words.

Rigby gasped, "I knew it! I knew it was because of him! I knew you wouldn't just bail, dude."

Mordecai "hmm-hmm"ed. "Thanks dude. I'm sorry things went down. And I swear on my right hand that I'll never abandon you guys like that again. You guys and this job were the only things keeping me from turning into my dad. I had good times here... and love."

"I don't see how you and Margaret play into this," Skips interjected.

Mordecai almost chuckled to himself, but thought it was inappropriate in that moment and time.

High Fives added, "And why do you need to find Benson so bad? You're the last person he wants to see, you know. He'd probably rip out your feathers."

Mordecai's shoulders visibly sank. It was subtle enough for everyone to dismiss as general disappointment. Rigby knew better.

"Did... he ever say aloud why I pissed him off?" asked Mordecai, anxious.

"It could be 'cause you left him swamped at our busiest season without notice," Muscle Man said, still ready to kick Mordecai's ass.

"Or," Rigby said glaring at the other three, "he's acting like a baby, like you three turds. Come on, guys! It's Mordecai! Mor-de-cai. And I've met his dad. He's one intimidating son of a bitch. Cut him some damn slack!"

Skips, High Five Ghost and Muscle Man gave Mordecai sideway glances.

"Please guys. I really need to talk to Benson."

They knowingly looked between themselves. After they nodded to each other a total of three times each, Muscle Man cracked his knuckles, cracked his neck, walked up to Mordecai and socked him in the gut.

Mordecai went down clutching his stomach, gasping for air, and Muscle Man smiled down on him.

"Forgiven, bro."

"Thanks" is what Mordecai meant to say, but because his stomach had been physically assaulted, it came out like "Dahngsss!"

Skips pulled some golf cart keys from his pocket. "Benson and Pops went to the MegaMart to pick up rock salt. I'll drive you there."

_Mr. Maellard raised his eyebrow ever so slightly, and both Benson and Mordecai had miniature heart attacks. Was that the killing gesture for them both? A simple raise of an eyebrow?_

The golf cart screeched as it stopped right out front of the MegaMart's double automatic doors. Skips, Rigby and Mordecai observed the building before them, unsure of how things would go down.

"Why exactly do you have to tell Benson this information now?" Rigby asked.

"I just do," said Mordecai simply, hopping out of the cart and running into the store.

Rigby went to follow his friend, but Skips held out a hand and silently shook his head. "Mordecai's gotta be on his own for this one."

Rigby pouted, "But then I won't know what he said to Benson!"

"That's the point, Rigby."

Mordecai felt bad for rudely pushing past the sweet grandma looking official greeter, but manners be damned. He had to find Benson. He had to find Benson and tell him he was right, and that he chooses both, and that maybe Oren wasn't that bad-

"For the record," Mordecai said, bitterly, "Oren is that bad. I'll stop interrupting now."

Benson gave Mordecai a dirty look.

Mordecai just had to find Benson and tell him that... Shit. Where was the outdoor section again?

He was in the middle of the bedroom decor section, next to a plum color coordinated which indicated he was a little off... Mordecai looked above him and the aisle sign didn't say "Outdoors", but rather "Home and Garden" and it was... aisle eighteen... What aisle was this?... aisle four. Crap.

Mordecai meekly passed a mother and her two daughters and ran down the middle of store, calling out Benson's and Pops' names... Aisle five, six, seven, eight... Mordecai paused when he thought he heard nasally yelling, but it was just the mother from before scolding her daughters.

Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen... Mordecai bumped into people and knocked over a cardboard stand-up of that new romantic comedy. The kind that probably had some poor idiot literally running after the love interest to relay an anguished love confession...

Mordecai stopped running. Appreciating the hypocrisy, he gave a little laugh, then continued his sprint.

Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen... Mordecai called out, "Benson! Benson and Pops!"

He put his hands on his knees and struggled to catch his breath. Looking at the floor beneath him, Mordecai saw that his feet were surrounded by snuggly pink material.

Mordecai stood regularly, and studied the space around him, and realized he was in the maternity section. For women expecting little girls, specifically.

"Oh..." Mordecai fell to the pink shag rug. "_Fuck me_..."

Pregnant women and their husbands looked Mordecai up and down and slowly vacated the area he was. They had heard over the speakers a crazy blue jay was running around and got away when they could.

Besides the pink shag, the pink cribs and beanbags, and the pile of girly-colored toys, Mordecai was alone.

But from the pile of animals that came in purples and pinks and fuchsias, a familiar giggling filled the air.

Mordecai got up and slowly approached the pile of giggling plushies.

"Peek a boo, stranger!" an even more familiar voice exclaimed.

"Pops?" said Mordecai as he poked at the toys.

The pile exploded left and right, and revealed a particularly giggly Pops. But Pops became downright elated when he saw the stranger was no stranger at all.

"Oh~! Mordecai! Good show! Jolly good show!" Pops leapt towards Mordecai and took him in his frail yet latching arms. "We've missed you!"

"It's good to see you too, Pops! Pops..." Mordecai laughed, but the moment was sort of ruined when he couldn't really breathe. "Pops... can't... breathe..."

Pops immediately let Mordecai go and smiled embarrassed. "I do apologize."

Mordecai gulped, "It's fine, really. Where's Benson?"

"Benson?"

"Yeah! He's here with you right?"

"Oh, yes of course! He's getting rock salt."

Mordecai nodded, "Yes, I know that Pops. Is he still in that general area?"

"Hmm..." Pops tapped his chin, "no..."

"Then where is he Pops?" Mordecai grabbed onto Pops' shoulders. "Did he say he'd be anywhere else today?"

"Ah! Yes! He said he'd be in the outdoor section first, then appliances because Rigby broke the microwave again... then finally the hardware section to get started on that shed."

Mordecai took a deep breath.

"Okay! Thanks Pops!" he said, and he was running again, until Pops called out to him.

"Woo-hoo~! Mordecai! Woo-hoo~!"

Mordecai walked backwards quickly and began to show he was getting antsy. "What Pops? What is it? What is it?"

"I'm not entirely sure if it's called the 'outdoor section' or the 'home and garden' section. On one hand, isn't the garden outdoors? But on the other hand, which is just as important as the aforementioned one hand, the home is by no means a place for a garden. Well, if you don't include an indoor shrub or a hanging plant. Which-"

"Pops!" Mordecai shouted, resisting the urge to use very unhappy words, "Benson's future as well as mine sort of depends on me finding him and talking to him. Do you know where he is or not?"

Pops laughed, "No need to get snippy, my good man, he's right behind you!"

Mordecai whipped around from the lollipop man and saw Benson standing there with a shopping cart. He looked like he had been told horrible news, and was paralyzed from the shock.

Benson stared dead at Mordecai. He didn't look angry... But he didn't look happy either. It frightened Mordecai; not knowing what Benson was thinking at that moment.

_"'What the hell is this bastard doing here?'," said Benson, "and 'Where's a shovel when you need it?'"_

_Mordecai looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Ben."_

_"It's okay," Benson said, quickly smiling at Mordecai then making his mouth go straight as an arrow._

"Ben. Benson," Mordecai said.

He made his way towards Benson, like he was a deer ready to bound off at the slightest movement.

Benson then pushed the shopping cart into Mordecai and ran off.

"Oh my!" Pops exclaimed, covering his mouth with both hands.

Mordecai recovered from the surprise attack and went after him, yelling Benson's name.

For a gumball machine smoker in his thirties with thin arms, Benson ran like a goddamn beast. He dodged in and out of aisles and slipped through the other shoppers like he was some sort of assassin. Mordecai was tired out, but relentless in his pursuit.

It was only by recognizing Benson's bright yellow coat and black that Mordecai didn't lose Benson in the sea of people whose missions seemed to keep Mordecai and Benson separated.

Luckily, Mordecai didn't have to run anymore, because Benson had trapped himself between shoppers coming from the right and left.

Mordecai stood in front of him, once again with the huffing and puffing, and pointed a finger to tell Benson to wait until Mordecai could breathe again. Benson stood with his back against the canned goods, looking wildly around for an escape.

"Please... don't... let... him... go..." Mordecai wheezed out to the two shoppers. Then he said, directly to Benson, "You... run... fast!..."

Benson closed his eyes and spat out, "I said I never wanted to see you again!"

"I just needed to... I just need... God, I need some water!..." Mordecai rubbed his throat. "Ben I just needed to talk-"

"You don't get to call me that!" Benson shouted, opening his eyes.

Mordecai preferred them closed. Then he wouldn't be able to see the pure... hatred.

Mordecai stepped closer to Benson. "Call you what, Ben?"

"'Ben'! You don't get to call me that. You don't say the things that you said and remain allowed to call me that. And get away from me!"

"I'm sorry!" Mordecai stepped back. "I'm sorry, force of habit. What would you like me to call you?"

Benson threw his head back and let out a frustrated growl, "_Nothing_! Call me nothing. You're nothing to me anymore and I obviously don't mean anything to you, so let's just pretend we don't exist!"

"Oh, harsh..." The curly haired man on the right side of Benson commented.

"I don't need any commentary, thank you," Mordecai shot an irritated look at the curly haired man. He kept his distance from Benson, but continued to speak. "Okay... 'Nothing'... I need to talk to you. And tell you I'm sorry. I'm sorry, for so much Be..._ Nothing_."

"Aw. Sorry for what dear?" The mom-ish looking woman on Benson's left swooned.

Mordecai rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry for letting my dad decide my feelings for you. And making it seem that you were the one holding me back when it was really him. And treating you like a luxury."

Benson had resorted to looking down at his feet, which were in black winter boots that were too big for him.

"Luxury?" The curly haired man questioned.

Mordecai said to the man, "I guess I assumed I didn't need him." He paused, then directed his words to Benson. "I guess I assumed I didn't need you. Like, I could leave, and it would suck, but I'd get over it. Except the 'getting over it' part never happened."

The mom-ish woman put a hand to her heart, "Sweetie, are you sure you want to display all of these personal feelings in a MegaMart?"

"**Fuck you**!" Benson shouted, stepping away from the wall of cans. "You think you can just... Chase me down, spout some generic apology bullshit and be the hero? You fucking screwed me over!"

"I know, B... Nothing, and I want to make it right," Mordecai put up his hands defensively.

Benson shook his head and laughed humorlessly. "You don't get it, do you?" Mordecai looked at the woman and the man, and they frowned in confusion. No answers there.

"I guess I don't... Explain it to me?"

Benson shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. He stared straight at Mordecai. Mordecai saw the cogs in his head moving, and pretty much knew he was not going to like Benson's words.

"This isn't about you quitting," said Benson with less volume but the same amount of anger. "it's the fact that I... I told you things. Deep and dark and personal things that make me happy. Things that make me sad and terrify me. I shared things with you that I swore I would take to the grave... And when your dad told you that I didn't matter you just... Believed him! Like he was telling you the time!"

"I never believed him!"

"Really? Three weeks of me alone in my apartment begs to fucking differ." Benson was beginning to shake from the emotion coming out of him. "But you know what? It's okay. Because I'm treating it as a learning experience, remember? I've learned, that when you trust people, they fuck you over," Benson snapped his fingers, "No, correction. They _fuck_ you! Then they_ fuck you over_!"

The woman blushed. "I've never heard so many f-bombs in my life. And I'm from _New York_!"

Mordecai looked at Benson with sullen eyes.

"Please don't say you think that because of me."

"I've always thought that. You just," Benson shrugged, "confirmed my hypothesis. Thanks for that, by the way."

"If I knew what I know now... I would have slammed the door in my dad's face that day. I would have-" Mordecai tried to think, "I would have realized all of that shit you were telling was so very personal to you. But I didn't. Because I'm an idiot."

"Yes," Benson said plainly. "Yes you are."

There was nothing else to say. Mordecai never felt so disgusted in himself. The two shoppers sensed the scene was over, and began to move so Benson could slip through.

"Is there anything I can say or do to undo the damage?" Mordecai asked quietly.

Benson averted Mordecai's gaze.

He cleared his throat and answered, just as quietly, "Unless you have a time machine tucked away in that coat, I'd say we're pretty much finished here."

Benson whispered a thanks to the shoppers but decided to leave by brushing past Mordecai. He was leaving. He couldn't be leaving, this is the part where the hero wins the girl back!... So to speak. Mordecai's mind was racing with words and phrases, none of them his, but all of them witty and important and romantic that would get Benson back.

"_This_," Mordecai squeaked out.

It was an odd enough sound that Benson, and about twenty other people, turned to look at Mordecai with confused faces.

He tried again.

"_This magic moment_," Mordecai sang. It was... terrible. His voice was scratchy and off tune. "_so different and so new_-"

Benson whispered with mortified eyes, "Sweet Christ,_ no_..."

"_Was like any other. Until I kissed you_," Mordecai continued, "_And then it happened_-"

Others stopped and stared, wondering what in the world was dying in Mordecai's throat. As he (horribly) sang, Mordecai inched closer and closer to Benson. Benson was too embarrassed to notice.

"_It took me by surprise_," a man with a distinguished mustache sang.

A bit thrown-off, but not deterred, Mordecai harshly crooned out, "_I knew that you felt it too... by the look in your eyes_!"

"Please_ stop_," Benson begged.

Three women Mordecai assumed were sisters, all with long black hair and conveniently coming from the music and recreation section, walked up to investigate what was going on. Realizing Mordecai was singing to Benson, they offered up their services and stood behind him while they played to the tune.

"_Sweeter than wine_," Mordecai sang.

"_Sweeter than wine_," Distinguished Mustache Dude echoed. He gestured for more people to gather around, much to Benson's chagrin.

The curly haired man and mom-ish woman shoppers from before sang as a well, with the woman echoing the man, "_Softer than a summer night!"_

The first musician sister sweetly sang, "_Everything I wanna have_-"

"_Everything, everything_," the second and third sister followed.

Mordecai was so close to Benson now.

He said, more than sang, "_Whenever I hold you tight_..."

Quite a crowd had formed, and if Mordecai had to estimate, ninety percent of the MegaMart shoppers were standing around, swaying to the music. Benson didn't notice them. He was much too busy trembling in front of the blue jay who had cause the entire mess.

Everyone in that area, with shining smiles sang out, "_This magic moment_!"

Mordecai took Benson's hands, "_This magic moment... when your lips are close to mine_."

"_Will last forever_!" the crowd's voice melted together in harmony.

Benson stared up at Mordecai, then down at their intertwined hands.

Mordecai closed his eyes and leaned in, mumbling, "_Forever 'til the end of time_..."

The crowd fell silent. This was it. The kiss. The moment where all of the struggle and all of the strife dissolved because in this kiss, Benson would know how sorry Mordecai was. And after that, he'd spend forever making it up to him.

But first Benson had to kiss him.

Benson stiffened up at the sudden movement. Mordecai didn't get a knee to the balls, so he continued to go in for the kill. Benson looked at Mordecai's lips, uncertain.

Out of the corner of his eye, Benson saw the mom-ish woman encouragingly smiling at him. The musicians sisters slowed the tempo and lowered the volume while they warmly smiled at Benson too.

Distinguished Mustache Dude gave Benson two thumbs up. The rest of the crowd whispered words of encouragement, grabbing onto each other.

Benson hesitantly moved in, eyes beginning to flicker shut.

Mordecai was so close he was sure Benson's mouth was only millimetres away. He sighed, just before he knew their lips would meet, "I_ missed_ you, Be-"

And, expectantly, a surge of hot energy coursed Mordecai's body, causing him to fall to the floor, spasm and twist his face in unflattering ways.

_"What on Earth, happened?" Maellard questioned, bewildered. "And why was everyone singing 'This Magic Moment' to Benzedrine? And who the hell is Distinguished Mustache Man?"_

_Mordecai corrected Maellard, "'Distinguished Mustache Dude', and it turns out he's an editor at Pulse! George Rutherford. Great dude."_

"NUHHHH! NUHHHH!" that was the llama like sound Mordecai made as he jerked around on the floor.

Benson immediately dropped to his knees, next to Mordecai and reaching his hands out towards him, "What's wrong? Mordecai what's wrong?"

"Don't touch him!" A police officer with a taser in his hand ran up to the couple. Metal springs went from his taser to Mordecai's back. "He's got enough juice in him to kill a horse!"

Mordecai continued to make the unfortunate noises while he flopped around like a fish.

The crowd gasped and made pained faces, very happy it wasn't them on the floor lke that.

"Dude. Is he even _alive_ anymore?" said Distinguished Mustache Dude as he tilted his head.

The cop stopped pressing the tazer trigger. He looked down at Mordecai whilst shaking his head. "This guy's been running around here looking for some hot new drug called 'binzin'... He probably doesn't feel any of this, an account of being so high."

"What the** fuck** is wrong with you?" Benson angrily shouted at the officer and pushed him away. He touched the now twitching but overall still Mordecai. "Mordecai, say something!" He wiped some sweat from Mordecai's forehead. "Say something..."

_"The last thing I saw before I black out was Benson looking over me. After what was apparently two hours, I woke up in a chair."_

Mordecai slowly awoke to a bright light in the distance. The more he woke up, the more he recognized the heavenly light as a hanging lamp. He tried to bring his right hand up to shield his eyes, but it was caught on something. His arm was handcuffed to the chair he had been sat in.

He heard a ringing off in the distance. Turning his head, Mordecai saw that behind him was a small office. He looked around a little more, specifically a door across the tiny room, which said "MegaMart Security". He loosened his dark blue scarf; it felt tight around his neck.

Then he remembered, and the mystery of why his back hurt wasn't such a mystery.

"For mall cops," Benson said to Mordecai, "they're pretty damn aggressive."

Benson sat next to him, resting his right foot on his left knee and pointed to his own handcuffed left arm. He wasn't pissed off like before, at least not at Mordecai.

Mordecai rubbed his back with his free arm and responded, "You're telling me."

Benson nodded. "Dumb bastard got in the way of my fist. Four times."

"I'm sure that's exactly what happened," Mordecai said, not being able to laugh for some reason.

Nothing else was said. Benson caught eyes with Mordecai, and studied them as if he were trying to find something important.

The pauses and the silences that kept sneaking up in every conversation he had that day was beginning to grind on Mordecai's usually slow temper. Why wasn't he saying anything? If he wasn't going to state the obvious, Mordecai wasn't afraid to do so.

"Listen, I-"

Benson raised a hand, "Stop. Please, just... You and an entire mall sang the corniest love song to me. I think I deserve to speak now."

"I'm sorry." Mordecai blurted out. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You probably are," Benson put both feet on the ground. "And I appreciate that. So much. But I can't just pick up where I left with you. I can't pretend none of this ever happened."

Mordecai furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "The abandonment or the singing?"

"I'm _serious_, Mordecai. I look at you, and you seem genuine, but... I don't trust you anymore. And that's kind of a big deal breaker for me."

"I don't expect your trust to instantly be restored!" Mordecai said facing his body towards Benson. "It disappeared when I bailed. I understand that."

Benson lifted his right hand, "Good! So we can stop this. We can stop being angry at each other and wishing we could gauge each other's eyes out or hold the other underwater until the bubbles stop coming up-"

"I'm sure those murder fantasizes were all your territory," Mordecai said, unsettled.

"We can move on, and live our separate lives. And this whole... thing, can be an unhappy memory."

Benson gave Mordecai a sad half smile. Mordecai tried to reach out his right hand to touch Benson, and once again the handcuffs "clinked" in denial. He put his hands in his lap..

"I know I'm in no position to tell you what I want. But I don't want to be a stranger to you. I don't want to be a friend to you."

Benson huffed, "I really don't want to talk about this anymore." He tried to turn away, but his left arm handcuffed to the chair forced him to face Mordecai.

"I... I may not have a time machine," Mordecai continued when he realized Benson couldn't turn away, "but I saw a future without. And despite being highly respected at what I did, I was shit." Benson frowned, but it was out of curiosity. "I was so angry, Benson. I was pissed off at myself for not choosing you. And I every night, I'd come home to bills and a mortgage and a cold, lonely bed."

"Your future sounds like my present," Benson laughed bitterly.

"No one should be allowed to experience that. Everyone should have someone to go home to."

A different cop came into the room holding a folder. He pointed to them as he walked to the smaller office behind them. "Blue jay! You're clean. Give us a sec to run a final screen then you can go."

Benson asked, "What about me?"

"Hey," the cop whistled to Mordecai, "you thinking of filing for police brutality?"

Mordecai glanced confusedly to Benson, then answered unsurely to the cop, "No...?"

"Then you can leave too. Give me a second," the cop went into the smaller office.

After the door shut, Mordecai looked over at Benson. "I'd really like to talk about this with you in private."

With the same shining eyes he had when Mordecai quit, Benson seethed, "We don't have a private anymore. That went away with the trust. You gave all that up for the 'something better', remember?"

Is this what Benson looked like when he was about to cry?

Mordecai said, desperately, "That's what you're not getting! You're my 'something better'! I know this now!"

Benson was wringing his hands and biting down on his tongue. Signs Mordecai learned that indicated Benson was debating with himself internally. He couldn't blame Benson if he kicked him to the curb. He deserved it. But wasn't there a little spark left? Maybe not trust, not anymore, but love?

"And you think it's going to be that easy? Come in, sing a love song, and you're home free?"

"No. I just want a chance."

"I don't forgive you," Benson choked out. "I may_ never_ forgive you. I don't _want_ to forgive you."

Mordecai said slowly, feeling himself choke up too, "I fucking had it coming. And I never said I wanted you to go easy on me. I just wanted the smallest sliver of a chance. I swear that's all I need."

The smaller office door opened up. The cop went to Mordecai's right side and took the handcuffs off. He went to Benson's left and freed him as well. "You two are free to go... and your three month bans start now. Have a 'mega' nice day."

The cop left them for the final time.

Mordecai and Benson remained seated. They continued to stare into each other's eyes. An emotional Mexican stand-off, or sorts. Benson could pull the trigger anytime; it wouldn't be hard.

Hopefully Mordecai's sincerity would get to him.

"I shouldn't give you anything," Benson said. He was trying so hard to keep the tears from falling.

Mordecai nodded his head. He understood.

"It's okay. You have every right not to," said Mordecai. He sadly smiled, because he meant it. At least he could say he tried.

"_I know_," Benson said, taking in a shaky breath, "and I shouldn't... but I'm going to anyway."

Mordecai saw a single tear slip down Benson's face. For a moment he had thought that he misheard Benson; that Benson totally rejected him and Mordecai's mind was filling in what he wanted to hear. He was almost afraid to smile; it all seemed too perfect.

"Yeah?"

Benson's tears were flowing now, but he had a small smile.

"Yeah," he rolled his eyes and corrected himself, "Yes... just one more chance."

And when it was all confirmed for Mordecai, he snatched up Benson in a hug and kissed him all over, and told him again and again how he was so happy, and being tazed was totally worth it, and he was going to love Benson silly; he promised profusely.

"I can't make it go back to the way that it was," Mordecai said wiping a tear away from Benson's face, "but I swear on my everything I'll make you happy."

Benson faltered, not knowing how to respond. Mordecai absorbed the hit. The shattered trust thing... He totally forgot about it in his joy. But Benson wouldn't regret this. Mordecai was going to put in some serious work.

"I hope you're right for both our-" Benson stopped talking mid-sentence, obviously remembering something, then unexpectedly shouted in Mordecai's face, "Holy shit, where's Pops?"

Maellard was still and silent.

Benson put his face in his hands, mumbling to Mordecai, "That was the worst way to end that story..."

"I didn't think he wanted to hear the rest. Have a little more faith, Ben," Mordecai said, getting defensive.

Benson scoffed, "All you did was prove we neglected Pops! That's the opposite of persuasive!"

Mordecai gave Benson a pissy look.

"When the time comes," Mordecai told Benson as if he were a child, "you can tell the story any way you like. 'Till then, this is the version you get. I could have mentioned the part where when we drove home Pops got kidnapped by an atheist cult!" Mordecai waved his hand at Maellard, "Don't worry. Pops wasn't hurt and the story's not as interesting as it sounds."

"You've doomed us!" Benson cried, turning a livid scarlet.

A book came crashing down on Maellard's desk, after he slammed it down, and he glared at the couple.

"I have a few questions," stated Maellard cool as a cucumber. "If you two reconciled at that MegaMart place, why is Bluebird not working here anymore?"

Benson cringed. It was still a sensitive topic for him.

"We talked about it sir and... Mordecai isn't his father."

When Maellard made a face that conveyed he didn't get it, Mordecai explained, "I can have love and friends and work for Pulse. I may not be around all the time, but I'm around."

"Even though you shouldn't be," Maellard scoffed at Mordecai. He rubbed his eyelids. "What does everyone else think of your... relationship?"

"Their fine with it!" Benson answered over-enthusiastically.

"Everybody has been generally supportive," Mordecai said calmly. When Maellard looked away for the briefest second, he mouthed, "Calm down!"

"We're dead!" Benson mouthed back.

When Maellard's gaze fell back on them, Benson and Mordecai exchanged concerned looks. The elder lollipop man didn't ask anymore questions.

The suspense was murder. They had to know.

Benson asked, tentatively, "Sir?... Have you... come to a decision?"

Mordecai nervously laughed, trying to make light of the situation, "I mean, if I'm going to the clink might as well know now, so I can get a head start."

Maellard stood up from his chair and slowly stepped to an open window. A chill crept in. He stayed in that one spot for a moment, clearly enjoying the cold wind.

Who knew what was going on inside his head? Did the entire run-down of Mordecai and Benson's relationship convince him? Or was he just thinking about how many boxes of cigarettes Mordecai would be worth in the slammer.

It wouldn't be much, Mordecai knew this for a fact...

"I've never heard," Maellard said, "such a convoluted, overblown plea for employment. A golden figurine coming to life... Father's disowning their sons... No man would treat his offspring so disgracefully."

Mordecai stared off, thinking of last time he saw his father face to face. Malachi was... He didn't take the whole "in love with a guy" thing well... Like that was a surprise.

"You clearly don't know my dad," said Mordecai.

Maellard spun around from the window. His eyes scanned the both of them. He probably loathed the sight of them.

"And I never will," Maellard said. He went to his desk and took up his cane. "Ben Ten, I want those snack bar profit numbers on my desk by Monday. Bluebird, leave my park before the sun goes down," Maellard moved his short legs to the office door and before he opened it, he snarled, "If I hear you two are putting on sick little displays of affection near my son again, no amount of storytelling will ever save you from the hell I'll put you through!"

When Maellard opened the door, the other park staff fell to his feet. They all stared up at him scared shitless, except for Pops (he seemed more scared that hid father may have hit Benson).

Maellard looked at them distastefully, wondering how such a underachieving group of weasels ended up running his park. Except, though, Pops.

His eyes lingered on Pops for a second. The younger lollipop man felt his heart skip a beat. Had he done something to upset his father?

Maellard's eyes stayed glued to his son. Soon enough, his eyes grew empty and mournful, then snapped back to judgemental when he walked off and out of the house.

Everyone, Skips included, felt a great weight lift off their shoulders when they heard Maellard's limo drive off.

"Benson! Mordecai!" Rigby got up from the dog pile and scampered over to them. "What happened?"

"Don't tell me Mordecai's going to prison," Muscle Man said, concerned for Mordecai. "Do you know how many boxes of-"

Mordecai nodded, a bit disappointed his friends thought him so helpless, "Yes. I do. But it doesn't matter 'cause I'm not going to jail."

"And I'm still your guys' boss," Benson added with a smile.

They all breathed a sigh of relief, and Pops ran up to Mordecai and Benson and enveloped them in a hug.

"Good show~! Jolly good show! And here I thought I had sentenced you both to horrible fates!"

Benson and Mordecai said, simultaneously and literally breathlessly, "Can't... breathe..."

"Oh! My apologies!" Pops set the couple down and smiled warmly at them.

Skips spoke up, smiling ever so subtly, "High Fives couldn't sneak in and listen. What you'd say to change his mind?"

Mordecai opened his mouth to answer, but Benson interrupted him.

"We threatened to sue."

Skips nodded. "Well played."

Mordecai gave Benson a funny look. Benson smiled knowingly, and then switched back into "boss" mode.

"Okay, okay, I'm just as excited that I wasn't shit canned, but you all need to get out of Maellard's office and do your chores!"

Rigby whined, "I'm too hopped up for work! Why don't you tell us what you _really_ told Maellard so we can calm down again?"

"I'm a little curious as well," High Fives shyly admitted.

Benson glared at Rigby and High Fives.

"That falls under 'None of Your Damn Business'. Now go and do your chores or you're all fired!"

Mumbles and grumbles came from Rigby as they staff filtered out. Pops was the last to leave, overjoyed that his father didn't hit anyone.

Then it was just Benson and Mordecai alone in Maellard's office.

Mordecai smiled at Benson. Benson smiled back, and soon enough he was jumping into a hug with Mordecai laughing wildly and holding him close as they spun around.

"Nice save, Mordecai! I mean, some of the things you told him were flat out lies. Like how that Juno figurine came to life. But other than that I'm impressed!"

Mordecai guiltily smiled.

"Thank you, thank you!" Mordecai put Benson down. "I exaggerated here and there, but I kept a lot of the stuff that did happen in there as well." Mordecai's smile faltered slightly, "Like with my dad and all."

Benson's shoulders slowly sank. He gave Mordecai another hug, this time more intimate. Mordecai rested his chin on Benson's head.

"Thank you," Benson said sombrely. "You worried me at first, but I'm so glad I called you."

"All I needed was a chance," Mordecai squeezed Benson. "you give me that I'll always come through for you."

Instead of letting go, they held each other tighter. The day was just that stressful.

"Mordecai?" Benson asked, pulling his head away from Mordecai's chest. Mordecai looked down at Benson expectedly. "Please don't make this into a big deal but... I miss you, sometimes."

Mordecai pulled away from Benson slightly.

"What do you mean? We live together. I see you everyday!"

"I meant," Benson made circular motions, "here. I miss working with you here. It's not the same now."

Benson began wringing his hands again. Mordecai took Benson's hands so he would stop.

"You're right. It's not the same. But we knew this going in."

"But I didn't know how different," Benson said, remorseful.

Mordecai nodded. What could he do? He couldn't make things go back to the way they were. As much as he loved it, he loved this version of his life more. Even if it was a little hard to adapt to sometimes.

He held onto Benson's hands. "Remember when I took you to that art gallery? And there was that piece that was weird looking and looked like it had been broken and put back together again? And you said it was ugly at first but after making you stare at it for awhile you admitted it looked kinda nice? Then we ended up buying it?"

"Yeah," Benson replied, puzzled.

Mordecai gently moved along, with Benson holding onto his wing.

"Well I don't think we're like that piece anymore. We were broken, but now that we're fixed you van't really tell we ever split. Granted, we know better... But and the end of the day we don't notice, like everyone esle doesn't. Plus, we've already been though the worst. What's left to go through?"

Benson intentionally bumped into Mordecai's side.

"Knowing our luck? We'll probably be arrested and you'll have to tell that story again."

Mordecai bumped Benson back.

"Or you could tell the story of how I proposed to you tonight."

It took great will on Mordecai's part not to laugh at Benson's reaction. In the middle of the hallway, Benson stopped walking and shut his mouth.

He had actually found a way to shut Benson up. Priceless!

Benson's eyes shone, unbelieving. "You're... You're lying."

It was always fun for Mordecai to find new ways to upset and fluster Benson. He'd have to stop that soon. He's pretty sure divorce laws call that "fraud". Or was it "emotional stress"? Didn't matter, Mordecai supposed.

"That is one of the parts of our story," Mordecai whispered as he pulled Benson gently along, "that I wouldn't ever exaggerate."


End file.
